Check-in at the Turnabout
by Just.InStories
Summary: Phoenix takes the case of man Lloyd Lector, accused of murdering three people. Phoenix figures the case is simple enough. But...it may not be. Our favorite defense duo may have just got themselves involved in a series of betrayals, lies, and tragedies...all connected by one man. (Warning: Spoilers for the Ace Attorney Trilogy and Apollo Justice will be present and/or mentioned.)
1. Check-in at the Turnabout

**(Note: Check out this story on AO3! On there, I included pictures I commissioned for this story! Credit to them goes to Tumblr artist Conmimi.)**

* * *

"So…you finally came."

"It would appear so, yes."

Thick rain clouds shroud this Los Angeles night. A torrent of droplets strikes against every building towering the city, including a soaring and pristine hotel.

What a fitting mood for the unfolding situation.

Two men sit in a hotel room of the electricity-deprived hotel staring each other down as if the lights were on during a bright summer day. The only supply of light is the occasional flashes of lightning across the darkened night sky, the lightning fazing neither of them.

The room is in disarray thanks to the two men's previous struggle, but that's the last thing on their mind…the last thing on the mind of the man holding the gun, and especially the last thing on the mind of the man in front of it.

Another streak of lightning flashes by.

"How'd you get in here?"

"It was easier than you think."

Silence grasps the room once more. It keeps its presence until the man who is, clearly, on the worse side of the situation chuckles. It lasts only for a split second, but the other man could tell it was fully arrogant.

"I suppose this is your revenge?"

"Please…this has long since passed the motive of revenge."

The man staring down the barrel breaks away his gaze to regard the soaking glass and the city behind it, fortunate enough to still have electricity. As he stares out the window, his earlier chuckle decides to make a reprise, morphing into laughter. The man with the gun decides to shut him up.

"You…laugh?"

"Ah…well, you see, this entire situation is becoming a bit, I suppose you can say, routine at this point. 'You've ruined my life!' Oh if only I had a dime every time. Though, considering there's still breath inside my body, you can say that the act of actually committing the deed hasn't become routine. And I don't think you're about to be the person who'll start it either."

The gun-wielding man's brows furrow. His grip on the gun intensifies. The other man smirks, taking notice of this.

"You may try to fool yourself and say you're different than those other people who think that because they have the momentary courage to get a gun and confront me, they'll carry out the deed. But, I'm telling you, you're not. This is once again going to end with me going back to my daily life and you either dead or arrested. Why? Because you'll never pull that trigger." The man's expression twists into a grin. "After all…that's not what _they_ would've wanted, is it?"

The other man's grip on the gun falters, his expression starting to lose its wrath. If the chuckle from the other man is anything to go by, this is the response he expected.

The man in front of the gun slowly and nonchalantly rises from his seat. He steps over a broken lamp as he makes his way over to a dresser. He picks up his cell phone, even taking a moment to admire it. "Nice phone. I may get the new one soon, though." He opens it and makes his way to the keypad.

"Now then, I hope you've prepared the police an explanation for breaking into my room and brandishing a gun in front of my-"

 ***BANG***

The phone cascades to the floor before the "Call" button could be pressed, the man falling to the floor with it, hitting his head on the edge of the wood the way down. On the floor, the man wants to utter a scream, each attempt being extinguished. He brings his hand to his wound. Obviously, not a wound of instant death…but it's still fatal. The man smiles at his revelation. Of course he didn't kill him instantly! He intended for him to suffer in his last moments. Of course…after all, the revenge wouldn't have been complete without that little detail.

"Y-you…bastard," the dying man manages to spit out. The man with the gun rises out of his seat and stands over the other man, his face nearly devoid of expression. That is, until the man on the floor laughs, making the other man squint his eyes in confusion.

"N-no…this is…f-fine. I c-can d-d-die easily knowing th-this. That…in y-your efforts to get r-revenge on the v-ve-very man you hated..."

The man's breathing gets heavier than before. He remarks to himself that he's soon to lose consciousness. But, he doesn't care. He smiles at his murderer, because he knows he's still won. He knows that in this man's efforts to get revenge on him, the very man he hated…

"You became exactly like him."

* * *

 **March 10, 2019 12:43 PM**

 **Wright & Co. Law Offices**

" _Nick...Nick…"_

Through closed eyelids, Phoenix Wright hears these calls. Thanks to them, he's been woken up. _"Maybe if I stay quiet…Maya will probably stop,"_ Phoenix thinks to himself.

" _Nick…Nick, wake up."_

" _Ok…not stopping…"_ Phoenix reflects, annoyed with his assistant. _"Come on Maya, what is it now?"_

Then, suddenly, the calls stop, silence filling the area again. A small grin creeps onto Phoenix's face. Now, he can finally drift off to...

" _Wait…do I hear her taking a huge breath?"_

"NICK!"

"Ah!" the attorney shouts as his eyes shoot open.

It takes him a second to get adjusted to the outside world's bright light, especially with the sun shining brilliantly through the windows. _"At least that terrible storm last night cleared."_

When Phoenix's eyes fully adjust again, he decides to turn his attention to his 'tormentor', that is, his assistant Maya Fey.

"Can you… tell me what you want Maya? I kinda didn't get a lot of sleep, so if you wouldn't mind…"

Maya pouts in response. "Nick, this is no time to be sleeping! Aren't you even going to be even a little excited for our next case?"

"Huh? What are talking about… You haven't even told me what it is!"

Maya snatches the remote off the table. "Look on the TV!"

In as little of a second, the volume of the TV is near blaring. Phoenix directs his attention to it and sees that the station is on a commercial. Maya sighs in annoyance as she searches through the channels, stopping on a news station after a couple clicks.

" _Suspect Arrested in Recent Murder Case at the Heavenly Lodgings Hotel,"_ the bulletin reads.

Now, Phoenix is interested. He adjusts himself to sit up straight in his chair to take a closer look at this bulletin. Police cars decorate the outside of a building, a building Wright can only guess to be the hotel mentioned in the headline. Phoenix listens to the reporter whilst observing what's on the screen.

" _Wait…This is just in. I have just received word of new development in this murder case. Yes, we have confirmation that a suspect has been arrested. The police have arrested Lloyd Lector on the suspicion of committing the three murders."_

An image of this Lector flashes on the screen. The man had a fair face, but whatever handsomeness was previously there had started to dissipate with some wrinkles taking over. Wright doesn't fail to take notice of slight bags under his eyes. _"He looks…miserable, to say the least,"_ Phoenix remarks as continues to listen to the newscaster.

" _The police claim they have found conclusive proof of Mr. Lector's guilt. The trial of the suspect shall continue tomorrow."_

"I…huh? What even happened? What's this about three murders?"

Phoenix shakes his head, hoping that'll help clear things up. The attempt is useless. He tries to answer the questions floating in his mind, to no avail. _"Come on Maya, I just woke up. You can't drop info like this on me that quick."_

"Well…apparently a bunch of murders happened at this fancy hotel," Maya explains. "And all the news channels are talking about a suspect being arrested."

"And…you want to go defend him, right?"

Maya rolls her eyes. "Well…we should at least go talk to him." Maya dashes over to Phoenix and grabs hold of his arm, snatching him out of the chair. "So, come on, let's go!"

Fey almost succeeds in dragging Phoenix out the door with her, but Wright manages to win the battle.

"Slow down! You're eager all of a sudden."

The girl lets go of the lawyer's arm. "Sorry… it's just… We haven't had a case in a month… And, well, I just want to get back into action, y'know?"

" _Keep in mind three people are dead, but okay…"_

"The least we can do is talk to the suspect," Fey concludes.

Wright folds his arms, turning back toward the TV. The newscaster was rambling on about more details regarding this case. That's when another image of the suspect appeared on the screen.

Maya was right. The team didn't have a case ever since the Hazakura Temple case only a month ago. _"Maybe… it would be good to appear behind the bench again. Not to mention, if this suspect is actually innocent..."_

Wright turns back to his assistant and almost yelps when he sees her eagerness. He breathes out a sigh.

"Ok, we can at least go to the Detention Center and see what he has to say."

Wright shouts at the sudden pull on his arm, Maya pulling him out the door in no time.

"Maya, you're gonna break my arm!"

* * *

 **March 10, 2019 1:15 PM**

 **Detention Center**

" _Well… Hello again Detention Center; been some time since I've felt your bleak mood."_

It's a mood that the Detention Center always manages to maintain, be it an eccentric client of deadly serious one. Phoenix instantaneously felt his mood drop to a low as he stepped inside, feeling the despair radiating from the walls. He secretly prays that this suspect would at least offer a distraction to that.

When the pair enters the room, they come across a shocking revelation. The forever immobile guard may actually be a real person as he turns his head when they enter.

"May I help you, sir and madam?"

"Yes," Phoenix answers, "I'd like to speak with the suspect in the recent murder case."

The guard awkwardly scratches his face. "Er… Which one?"

" _I suppose that was vague. What was the suspect's name again?"_ Wright ponders this for a while before he gives up on trying to remember the name and asks a question based on what he does know. "I mean the suspect in the hotel murder case."

"Oh… You must mean Mr. Lector, sir." the guard realizes. "Well… I'm afraid he's in questioning at the moment, so you'll have to come back later. I assume you're his attorney?"

"No, actually. But I do plan to speak to him about representing him."

"I see. Well, you'll have to come back later, I'm afraid."

"Huh, well…" Phoenix turns towards Fey. "I guess we have to come back later."

"Come on!" Maya screams out loud enough for the guard to hear. "Isn't there something you could do?"

"Well, I'm not sure there is much, ma'am."

Maya prepares herself to object but the words die in her throat when she feels Phoenix's hand on her shoulder.

"Come on, Maya. We'll come back later."

Maya is about to make a rebuttal, but decides to stay quiet after taking another glance at the guard. She grabs Wright's arms and leads them some distance from the glass and the guard's earshot.

"We don't have to come back later. I'll can make this guard let us see Lector now."

"Maya…" Phoenix hesitantly says, panic obvious in his tone. "What are you planning?"

"Just trust me. All you gotta do is stand there."

"Maya…"

Before he can even try to reason with her, Maya's already walking back toward the glass. Phoenix tries to catch up with her, but it seems whatever she's doing has caught the guard's attention if the look of confusion on his face is anything to go by.

"Ma'am…please stop making that face."

When Phoenix arrives back by her side, he looks at Maya's face to see what warranted that request from the guard.

" _It's a puppy dog face. Of course it is."_

Phoenix can't even admit to himself that it's a good one. This failed attempt at a puppy dog face looks more like something someone would do when they were clearly trying to invoke sympathy jokingly. Wright knows that telling her to stop would be useless. All he can do is give an awkward grin. He regrets doing so soon after as it piled onto the uncomfortable feeling in the room.

" _Well, I did ask for something to distract me from the grim mood of the center."_

The guards finally speaks up after an excruciating twenty seconds.

"Ok, ok. I can at least go talk to the interrogators and see what they say. Just…can you please stop with that face, ma'am?"

And like clockwork, Maya stops, deciding to flash a grin at the guard. "Thank you!"

The guard shakes his head in disbelief as he heads through the door next to him.

"I'm…not sure what to say about that," Phoenix concludes. "So, I won't say anything."

"Hey, don't complain. It got the guard to go talk to someone, so you should thank me."

"Thank you… I guess?"

It's not until a few minutes later when the guard reappears.

"Well, sir and madam, the interrogators say that they'll let you talk with Mr. Lector. However, they'll only allow twenty minutes total. Would you like to speak with him now?"

Wright shakes his head in shock and blinks his eyes. _"Huh. Guess I owe you one, Maya."_

"Yes, we would like to speak with him now!" Maya decides to answer for Phoenix.

The guard simply nods his head. "Very well, I'll go bring him in now."

When the door opens a minute later, the guard is not the first to enter.

As soon as this new person enters, the team slightly squint their eyes. _"What's that bright flash?"_ they wonder.

Their eyes luckily manage to adjust to the bright flash, granting them a full look at this new guest. The man is dressed in a standard black suit.

That wouldn't have granted them a second thought if it isn't for something else about the suit. Neither Phoenix nor Maya noticed it when they saw this man on TV, but there's something special about his suit's buttons. Each button is some sorts of a coin or medal. And not just on the suit jacket, but on the white undershirt. A coin is the buckle of his belt, the face of his watch, even engraved in the top of both his black shoes.

Yet, everything else about this suspect seemed normal. Slicked-back black hair, fairly handsome face, and skin implying he is in his late thirties. If not for this abnormal attire, no person would grant him a second thought.

The guard leads the man to the chair near the glass, granting him to sit down after releasing him from his handcuffs. The guard then retreats back next to the door to resume his duty of being a watchful statue.

It's not until a couple seconds that Phoenix realizes that silence has taken over the duration of that time.

"Ah, hello. Er… Sorry. You're Mr. Lector, right?"

Lector nods his head. "Indeed, I am. Lloyd Lector, that is."

"I see. Um… Allow me to introduce myself. I'm-"

"Phoenix Wright, and that is your assistant, Maya Fey," Lloyd interrupts.

This leaves the duo to stare at the man in surprise. Lloyd catches onto their expressions.

"My apologies, but it'd be useless to pretend to not know who you two are."

"You've… heard of us before?" Maya inquires.

"Well, when you get a famous prosecutor arrested for murder, I'd imagine it'd be hard not to know your names," Lector explains.

As to further add to this coin shtick, Lector seizes a coin from his breast pocket, flipping it soon after. He stares at the team, unfocused on the coin, flipping it perfectly. The team can't decide if it's the coin's brightness or the flawless coin flipping that captivates them. Their attention snaps back to Lector when he grunts out an "Ahem."

"I must say… It would be great to have a person of your skill defend me. Surely, I'd be acquitted of these asinine accusations."

"Actually, I never said I was going to defend you, Mr. Lector. I wanted to hear your side of the story and decide if I want to take your case. I'm sorry if I got your hopes up."

Lloyd opens the palm of his hand and lets the coin land in the middle of it after its previous flip. Lector closes the palm of said hand and darts his eyes to the side in thought.

"Of course...after all, it'd be quite unfortunate if you were to defend a guilty man." The neutral face on Lector soon morphs into a face of shock with an apologetic expression. "Oh, I must apologize; I didn't mean it like that."

Phoenix is unsure of whether he should excuse Lector's comment or stay silent. He decides the latter.

"Well…" Maya restarts the conversation, "Tell us a little about yourself."

Lloyd holds up his coin between his pointer finger and thumb, positioning it up towards the light. "I'm afraid there's not much about me to talk about, Ms. Fey."

"Sure there is! What about those coins all over your clothes?"

Lloyd glances down at his clothes briefly before glancing back up in thought. "I… suppose you could say I have an acute interest in coins and medals. For years I have been interested in these marvels. I'm still not entirely sure what aspect of them interests me. Maybe it's their shine… Perhaps their history?"

To Phoenix's surprise, a smile etches onto Lloyd's face. Wright realizes that this is the first time Lloyd ever smiled since the beginning of their miserable look of despair disappeared and was replaced with an expression of realizing that some hope still may be in his world.

"I see," Phoenix decides to comment. "Though, why do you decorate your suit with them?"

"Hmm… Well, I have an excessive collection, to say the least, so I decided to do something special with ones that I found to be less valuable or pleasing. It catches people's eyes, for certain. I hadn't failed to notice the looks of wonder on your faces when you walked in."

"I think that was mostly because we were distracted by their shininess," Maya explains. "How did you get them like that?"

"I use a cleaning material from a fairly popular glass sculptor. Sutherland, I believe his name to be. Along with his pieces he sells a cleaning fluid for glass items, yet it works quite well for my coins." Lloyd's eyes scan over Phoenix's suit, specifically to the lapel with the badge. "Speaking of which… Your Attorney's Badge…"

"It's great, isn't it?" Phoenix nearly shouts, pulling out his lapel towards Lector.

Suddenly, as if a light was turned on inside his soul, Phoenix's eyes bright in excitement. The sudden change in mood startles Lector. He glances towards Maya and her eyes clearly displayed experience in this type of situation before.

"Er… Yes, yet it looks a bit… dull."

Lector almost feels guilty when he sees the excitement drain from Phoenix.

"It's quite obvious that the material you use to clean it is weak. I recommend using the same Sutherland solution that I use. I think they sell it at the shop in the hotel where the murders occurred."

"I-I see. T-thank you."

"Nick, are you crying?"

Phoenix wipes the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "What? N-no. I'm fine."

Making a mental note of the suspect's advice, Phoenix shakes his head to dispose of the gloom that took over him, realizing there are more important things to worry about. He gets to the topic at hand.

"I'm not sure what exactly happened still, so I'm hoping you could fill me in, Mr. Lector."

"Address me as Lloyd or Lector. No "Mr." if you please." Lector glances down at his coin.

"As for what happened, I've been accused for murdering three people. From what I heard, one person was stabbed, the other shot, and the last man hit over the head." As like clockwork, Lector begins flipping his coin again. "The police say that a major piece of evidence against me is the fact that the weapons were found in my room."

"All of them?" Maya asks.

"Only two, actually. The third must've been found somewhere else. They are still checking to see if my fingerprints are on the weapons. I pray they come up barren of my prints." Lloyd snatches the coin mid flip and rests it back into his breast pocket. "They also go conveniently deaf whenever I tell them it should've been impossible for the weapons to be found in the room."

"Oh?" Phoenix asks.

"Yes. After the murders, the police dispatched there decided to do a search of the hotels and its rooms to see if they can find any evidence. My room is on the same floor of the crime scene, so, naturally, I was one of the first rooms checked. And, before I could even know it, the police were putting me in handcuffs for finding the murder weapons in my room."

"I see. But how is it impossible for those weapons to be there?"

"Mainly because I used the drawer minutes before they came in!"

" _Huh… that's strange."_

"Where were you at the time of the murders?" Maya inquires.

"I was resting in my hotel room. My… house is quite far from the hotel, so that long drive made me desire nothing more than to sleep on my suite's bed. It was quite comfortable. By the time I woke up, the crime must've already have been committed."

"Did you notice anything suspicious before the murders?"

"Nothing at all as far as I can remember. That is, if you discount the receptionist's panicky attitude. I didn't think much of it, though… And I still don't. And, like I said, I was in the room for the rest of the day, so I couldn't notice anything then."

Phoenix makes mental notes of every detail the last few minutes, thinking out his next question in the process. "Why did you come to the hotel that day?"

Lector falls silent… Oddly silent. Phoenix knows by the silence that he's either prepared to tell a lie or nothing at all.

"That…information is private."

" _Glad to see he went with the latter."_

"Why… The interrogators were just hounding me for the answer to that question, believing it may have a connection to my motive. Yet, as I have stated, that info is private."

"They believe you went to the hotel for a reason to murder? Just to confirm, you didn't, right?"

Lectors squints his eyes in suspicion. "Could you restate your question, Wright?" Lector requests.

"In other words… Did this trip have anything to do with the victims? Do you have any relations with the victims at all… Something that would spark a motive?"

Butterflies fill the pit of Phoenix's stomach when he sees the look in Lloyd's eyes, staring Phoenix down. Wright uncomfortably shifts in his seat; put off by the look of seriousness Lloyd suddenly displays. However, Wright can tell that the look isn't just trying to project firmness, but a look of saying "I'm not lying." Unfortunately, the attempt fails. Wright can tell that Lector is trying too hard to express this look and the long silence makes it obvious that he's preparing something in his mind. Phoenix tries to guess whether it's going to be truthful or false, which makes him more anxious.

"Mr. Wright. I can assure you that I have no motive to murder any of these men and do not know them any more than on a name basis."

Phoenix doesn't have to look down at his pocket to know the Magatama is glowing.

Phoenix can never figure out what he hates more about this. The fact that three, chain-connected Psyche-Locks are now plastered between him and Lector to represent his lie or the chills Phoenix gets every time this happens.

Phoenix feels the room spinning around him. It's been some time, after all… Especially with one this major.

"Are you quite alright, Wright?"

Phoenix manages to regain control of his composure, albeit only a little bit. His head swivels back and forth between Maya and Lector, finally resting his gaze on Lector.

"Excuse me for one second."

"Of course."

Before Maya can even question this, Phoenix gets up from his seat and retreats to a corner in the room away from Lector. Maya, realizing the intent of this, does the same wordlessly.

"What's wrong, Nick?"

" _Something happened when I was talking to Lector,"_ Phoenix whispers.

It takes a second for Fey to respond as she starts understanding where this conversation is leading. _"You saw Psyche-Locks, did you?"_

A nod from Phoenix is enough of an answer for her.

" _Well…"_ she stares at the ground in disappointment. Phoenix could tell, even without seeing her face, that she's hurt by this revelation. She looks back towards Lector, and Wright could see the determination ignite back within her. _"I think we should take his case!"_

" _W-what?"_

" _I mean, yeah, it looks pretty bad for him, but I still don't think he did it! There are a lot of things that don't make sense and I think you can exploit those holes to prove his innocence. And…look at him."_

Both of them look back at Lector currently in the act of spinning a coin on the table. Phoenix pays no mind to the spinning metal despite how shiny it is and focuses on the detail Maya likely wants him to look at…Lloyd's face.

Phoenix recalls how he noted the miserable look in Lector's face when he saw his mugshot on the additionally recalls how there was only one time Lloyd smiled during this meeting. And not just a smile, but a face finally filled with hope and understanding. The face Phoenix is staring at now… It sunk back to the lost and depressed man he was first met with.

" _But…why is he lying to me about the victims?"_ Phoenix asks himself. Yet, as soon as Phoenix completes that thought, an image of his younger self flashes through his mind. That tacky shirt, the constant coughing and sneezing… The undying love he had for a woman so much that he was willing to lie. Yet, against all those odds, his late mentor still defended him and still earned him an acquittal.

" _I'm not sure why Lector is lying about the victims… But leaving him to fend for himself…"_

Phoenix closes his eyes in thought. He realizes that a serial murder as such would surely earn the death penalty. And if Lloyd was truly innocent… _"To have him die when I could've done something…"_

Wright shoots his eyes back open and hurries back to his seat with determination.

"Lector, I have one more question for you."

Lector looks up from his coin. "Ah, yes?"

"Did you kill any of the three victims?"

Once again, Lector makes eye contact with Wright, attempting to convey to Phoenix that he wasn't lying. Yet, butterflies were absent from Phoenix's stomach because this time, thankfully, the attempt is successful.

"Wright, I assure you that I killed not a single one of those men, be it intentionally or accidentally." Lector breaks eye contact in thought and reconnect it soon after. "And, considering one of your previous cases, I didn't hire someone either."

Phoenix waits… and waits… and waits… and… There's nothing. No glow from his pocket. No chains or locks. No… lies. And that was the question that really matters to Phoenix. It matters because it assures him one thing:

Lloyd Lector is truly innocent.

"Lloyd. I'll take your case."

For the first time during this meeting, hope charges into Lloyd's eyes. It's combined with shock, but Wright could tell the shock meant thankfulness.

"You… will?"

"The case against you may seem bad but I feel like I'll find something that'll assure your innocence."

"I… I…" Lloyd lowers his head, his arm swiping across his eyes when he does. "Thank you."

 _Letter of Request added to the Court Record_

Phoenix stuffs Lector's request into his pocket. "Uh… One more question. Do you know where the hotel is and how to get there, Lector?"

"Hm… I'm not certain. It's all a bit muddled in my mind."

"I think I may be of assistance."

Everyone's eyes immediately dart toward the door behind Lector. _"Oh yeah, that's not a statue."_

"I have visited that hotel before and know the route fairly well," the guards states, pulling something out his pocket as he walks towards Lector.

He reveals this object to be a folded map, unfolding it as soon it's freed from his pocket. The guard pulls out a marker from his other pocket. The marker then dances across the page, the performance not lasting long. The guard hands the map back to the team.

"I would've marked you a shortcut that'll get you to the hotel faster, but it's been blocked off for a while now." It's at that sudden moment the guard hears his pager go off and attends to it.

The team, meanwhile, glances at the map. The markings are poor but it's clear on what they're supposed to do. Phoenix deduces that it shouldn't take more than twenty minutes. And, true to the guard's word, he marked a giant X over a Holt Street… The forbidden shortcut, Phoenix guesses.

"I apologize, but your twenty minutes are up. The interrogators would like to see Mr. Lector again."

"That is fine," Lector says. "I believe we are done here."

Phoenix notices the happier tone in Lector's voice as the guard walks back to Lector and seizes his hands in cuffs again. Both parties start to head out until…

"Wright."

Phoenix turns his head back.

"Thank you."

Phoenix beams a smile inside his head. There it is… That hopeful smile.

* * *

 **March 10, 2019 2:05 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

"I wonder what this place is like," Maya beams. "I hope it's not just another Gatewater."

The duo continues to maneuver their way around pedestrians, closing in on their destination. Earlier, Phoenix, for a brief moment, thought to take his bike, but quickly remembered that it was near impossible to fit two passengers on it, and trying to awkwardly fit two people on it would've been detrimental to the bike. This leg workout is the only recourse for the team now. It is a shame that the map is the only thing they can rely on, as spot nothing nearby or in the distance that would help them conclude which is the hotel.

"It certainly sounds like it. It could also be some run-down hotel," Phoenix inserts.

"I don't think so. I saw pictures of this place on the news."

"Well, hearing the name, it sounds like a copycat to Gatewater. So, my hopes aren't really high."

Phoenix doesn't have to look at Maya to know the mischievous grin she's sporting.

"Wanna bet?"

"Nope."

The young Fey puffs out her cheeks. "Oh, come on, Nick! You're no fun. Scared you're gonna lose?"

"Maya, that doesn't affect me anymore."

"Hm… I think you're just scared."

Of course Phoenix is scared of placing a bet. Not for the mere reason of damage to his ego, but of damage to his wallet, as the bet is always granting her burgers if she achieves victory.

"Ok… It's right around this corner." Phoenix informs, both of turning the corner of the sidewalk. When they do, Phoenix is glad he didn't take the bet.

Because describing the hotel as "heavenly" is a bit of an understatement.

The blue-suited lawyer and his assistant remain idle at the foot of the towering hotel. They angle their heads to the point that they can't bend them back any further, and even then their eyes can't see the top of the hotel. Whoever owns the hotel has made quite a living for themselves.

The building erects over twenty stories from the ground. Even from this distance, the two can tell each window is absolutely spotless. To their surprise as well, even the bricks seem to sparkle.

Maya decides to gaze at the courtyard, noticing the shrubbery and other plants has barely a leaf out of place. In the middle of this courtyard stands an, unsurprisingly, immaculate glass statue in the midst of a grass patch.

"Wow… I guess I won, did I Nick?"

"We didn't even start a bet…"

Maya can tell from the droned out tone in Wright's voice that he's still shocked, to say the least.

"Hey! It'd be awfully great if we rented a room after this case."

That alone is enough to bring Phoenix back.

"What! No way… That's never happening."

"Why not?" Maya jestingly whines. "We could even bring Pearly!"

Phoenix shakes his head with a sigh. "Trust me Maya, I'd love to stay here too, but I don't think my wallet would love it much."

Maya grunts out a sigh. "You're no fun."

The team decides that standing there won't prove Lloyd's innocence and start heading towards the doors. Phoenix looks off to his left and notices the parking lot. The hotel is certainly not devoid of business if the parking lot is anything to go by. Wright doesn't fail to observe the amount of cars of the same brand. _"Maybe there's an event happening here?"_ However, the previous mood of awe starts to wear off as Wright then notices that another large amount of cars are made up of those owned by the Police Department. _"Right… Murders occurred here. Let's not get too distracted."_

They finally reach the building, heading under the pavilion to be met with bellboys standing next to two glass doors, positioned on opposite sides. One of bellboys and doors are directly next to a sort of booth, a camera looming over it. _"Odd… decision,"_ Phoenix reflects as two bellboys bow to Phoenix and Maya, the latter two heading through the glass revolving doors between the two doors.

 **March 10, 2019 2:12 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center I**

"Maya, why are you on one knee?"

The medium quickly stands back up straight. "Oh, sorry… I just thought I walked in a hall of a king's castle."

"Why would you bow before meeting the king?"

"I dunno! I just felt like I needed to bow, okay?"

Phoenix shakes his head with a grin. Though Phoenix criticized Maya for her odd logic, he can't deny he suppressed the impulse to do the same.

If it weren't for the simple fact that, logically, it'd be near impossible financially, the team would almost think they walked into a hotel lobby built entirely from gold. Phoenix can't decide if it's because of the spotless furniture and floors or because of the large skylight allowing sun to beam its bright rays into the lobby. Perhaps it's both.

The defense team first note the pleasant smell the lobby, as if the hotel decided that regular air wasn't good enough for this building, coming up with an entirely different one that smelt as if hundreds of air fresheners were released in the building. Yet, the team will silently remark, the smell wasn't nauseating. Just strong enough to always know it's present.

Phoenix then notes that the lobby splits into two different paths, the left path leading to a rather open area with chairs and tables, - Phoenix guesses this must be a restaurant of some sorts - a statue, another room straight ahead, and, from what Phoenix could tell, hallways stacked on each other, leading to doors Wright assumes to be hotel room. The right path leads to an even more open room, Phoenix unable to make out further details here. Phoenix figures that the hotel must be as wide as it is tall. The electronic directory showing a detailed floor plan of the multi-path and room-abundant hotel is a testament to that. Phoenix also notes when he first walks in of the ample screen to his right, depicting recent news, weather and the such.

Yet, like outside, Phoenix's awe begins to dissipate as he notices a few police officers in this part of the lobby (according to the hotel directory). Luckily, the noise of a small crowd fills the lobby, so it doesn't shatter the splendor as much. It even helps Wright reconfirm the hotel's popularity.

Phoenix looks over to his left and finds something eye-catching for sure.

He walks over to the receptionist's desk, said desk being absent of a major part of its purpose. The attorney realizes how small the desk is, only being large enough to accommodate only one person. Wright silently comments this strange decision as he notices a small sign on top of the marble attorney peaks a look behind the counter. _"Lemme see here… Books, strewn papers, computer, and... some dirty wrappers and magazines."_ Phoenix reads the card.

 _The front desk is absent at the moment. The receptionist shall be back shortly. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope enjoy your stay! Thank you!_

 _-The Heavenly Lodgings Hotel_

"Hey Nick… Look!"

Phoenix ganders a look at what Maya is looking at. He follows the direction of her pointing hand and sees it's aimed at a man in a scruffy and green coat, said man talking to a person.

" _Wait… Scruffy and green coat?"_

One of the men soon walk away, the remaining one in the green coat turning around to reveal his gruff face. The expression on his face disappears and is replaced with a smile. The man quickly makes his way over to the team.

"Hey, how are you doing pals!"

"Hey Gumshoe," Maya greets back.

"I had a feeling you'd be here, Gumshoe," Phoenix inserts.

Gumshoe crosses his arms. "Well, of course I'd be here! I'm a detective after all!"

" _Yeah… But aren't there… other detectives?"_

"But enough about me… I want to know how you pals are doing!" Gumshoe flashes a concerned look at the team. "You're not defending the suspect, are you?"

"And… if we are?" Phoenix inquires hesitantly.

"Well… I would prepare for a loss if I were you," Gumshoe insists, chuckling while confidently folding his arms. "…Because Lector is guilty."

"Is that right?" Phoenix responds.

"Yeah!" Gumshoe shouts out. "We found him with two of the weapons in the room. How much more suspicious can you get? Our guys back at the lab are still checking for fingerprints, but I already know his will be on there. Not to mention, a few people saw him."

"Huh?" Phoenix questions with a tone that implies that this is the first time hearing this.

"He didn't tell you? A couple of people stepped up and said to have seen him head into the crime scene around the time of deaths."

Phoenix lowers his head in frustration. _"I thank you, Lloyd, for being completely transparent at some times and then dingy as the detective's coat at others."_

"I suppose I can see why you think he's guilty," Maya offhandedly comments.

"Hey… Maybe I'm wrong, like before, and this guy turns out to be alright after all," Gumshoe cheeringly remarks.

" _You almost sound like you're bragging about being wrong."_

"Hey, Dick!"

Gumshoe immediately snaps his head to the direction of his fellow officer. He looks back and forth between the team and the other officer, before finally facing the team.

"Ah, sorry. Gotta head back to the investigation."

"We understand."

"But, hey, if you have anything to ask, go ask Sam, and he'll answer any questions."

"Sam?"

"Yeah, he's the head detective," Gumshoe explains.

The defense team both shakes their heads in unison. "I thought you were the detective," Maya exclaims.

Dick scratches the back of his neck, snatching another look at the officer who called him earlier. "No, not this time. Mr. Edgeworth didn't want me to give all my attention to this case. If you want to meet the head guy, he's down there."

Gumshoe points towards the right branching path, the pair's eyes following that way.

"His name's Samuel, but everyone at the precinct calls him Sam."

"So, what's your role in this case then?" Maya inquires.

"Oh… Well, I suppose you can say I'm helping Sam out." Dick breaks eye contact with the team, looking off to the side. "After he got involved in a terrible incident, he's been assigned to a lot of small cases for the last few years. He hasn't had a case this big in some time, so Edgeworth thought it'd be nice for me to help him out. Take some pressure off him, y'know?"

" _That makes sense. Though… I wonder what that incident was."_

"So, if you need some help with anything, don't hesitate to talk with either me or Sam, okay pals? Anyways, gotta head off. See ya!"

Gumshoe catches up with the earlier officer, who seems a bit flustered at Dick's lack of urgency. The duo takes a glance at each other, the look clearly communicating their next plan.

 **March 10, 2019 2:18 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center II**

Phoenix would be lying if he said he wasn't confused when he first took a look at the directory in the "Center I" of the lobby floor. If the hotel's expansiveness isn't enough to make a person's head swirl, then surely its directory would be.

Phoenix, though, pays no mind to that as he enters this area.

As Wright enters the "Second Hotel Center," he wonders if the hotel's owner has a lot of money and wanted to give their guests the most lavish-looking hotel they'd ever go to without spending millions of dollars… Or if they have a lot of money and were just full of themselves and built every room of this hotel so it would put a royal residence to shame, just so they could. _"Or maybe it's both?"_

The lawyer muses on that as he gazes at this somewhat crowded area.

"It almost looks like a garden in here!" Maya comments.

And it certainly almost does. If it weren't for the restaurant beside them and in front of them some ways ahead, the shop behind them, a seperate room assigned to be a seating area, the semmingly countless art pieces, and seeing that there's several other branching paths exiting this room, the trees in grass patches scattered here and there would certainly have convinced our team. Adding on to that fact is the fountain stretching from one end of the room to the other, only broken off in the middle by a walkway.

What also doesn't convince them that they walked into an arboretum - Phoenix wouldn't be very surprised if this hotel has one - is the chairs and pavilions decorating the surface of this room. Some people are sitting in some of the chairs or at the bar of the restaurant nearby. Tall lamps are positioned near some of the chairs.

Yet, the lamps were off. Of course, they aren't needed, with the sun shining gorgeously through the glass roof several stories high. _"Whoever owns this place certainly has an eye for glass and marble."_

Phoenix peaks his head up and notices another nice detail. The hallways of the room floors can be seen from here, giving anyone who walks outside their room a nice view of this area. Phoenix counts there to be seven floors of hotel rooms, wondering if there might be more that are not visible here.

And, as a cherry on top - Phoenix wonders if this room even needed one- suspended by wires attached to the glass roof, another glass art piece hung in the center of the room, high up in the air… Dust not even being an issue, as Phoenix squints his eyes and can see the glass is still as clean as if it was new.

After Phoenix takes in the lavish look of this room, he takes in details not usually seen if a murder hadn't occured. That is, police tape wrapped around one of the pavilions, a small patch of blood staining its floor, and a couple of officers gathered at the fourth floor near one particular room directly facing this area. _"I suppose that must be the crime scene."_

Phoenix takes notice of a man just up ahead of them, wearing a coat as well; Not a dingy green like Detective Gumshoe's, but more akin to a long overcoat.

This man turns around and the team notices his eyes fixated on the notepad he's writing on.

If this man's look is anything to go by, Phoenix wonders if you need the qualification of being eccentric to work in the police force or law.

The man looks like he walked out of an old detective noir film. A beige fedora, a long beige overcoat, black pants and white dress shirt, and even a pad and pen to boot!

Both Phoenix and Maya guess that this may be Sam and decide to go talk to him.

"Excuse me, sir."

The man's eyes dart up at the team, both eyes clearly getting a good look. Yet, out of nowhere, the man yelps in surprise, almost falling back. Phoenix quickly notes the oddity of that before attending to the man.

"Oh, sorry sir, did we scare you?"

"Yeah… As a matter of a fact, ya did." The man sighs in disappointment. "It's… fine. Just try to avoid doing that in the future, if you would."

"Er…" Maya speaks up. "Are you Sam?"

"I am… Who asked?"

"We did," Phoenix answers. "Gumshoe told us you were the head investigator of this case."

"He's right. I'm Samuel… Samuel Falcon. But you can call me Sam, if you want. Though I think you already have." Samuel touches the brim of his hat. "You must be this Phoenix Wright I've been hearing about."

" _Okay, did I suddenly become popular overnight or is it just me?"_

"He is! And I'm his assistant, Maya Fey!"

Maya offers out her hand and Falcon shakes it. "Now, I can assume the only reason you're here, Mr. Wright, is because you took the suspect's case, right?"

"Was it that obvious?"

"Not exactly, but logically it made sense. Not to mention, you seem to be attracted to cases where the suspect is hopeless, so it's not too surprising to see your mug around here."

" _I'm flattered with that complement; truly am."_

Maya interjects with another question.

"So… What's this about you not having a big case for some time?"

Surprise flashes across Sam's face for a second or two before he answers.

"Oh, that? Thing is… Last few years I've been assigned to some easy cases with only the occasional serious ones. I haven't had a murder case this big since a year ago. And trust me when I say it's great to be doing something this big again. Get this exhilarating feeling, y'know?"

The team shoot the detective an odd glance. Falcon picks up on it and clears his throat as he needlessly straightens his fedora.

"But… My condolences to the victims, yeah?" He turns to the next page in his notepad. "And Gumshoe's help is greatly appreciated, y'know? He's a good detective. "

" _Yep, definitely out of a noir film."_

"Gumshoe said something about your lack of serious cases because of an incident," Maya states.

Falcon immediately goes silent, staring at the two with a blank and hurt look in his eyes. Something in that sentence obviously struck a nerve.

"Gumshoe… told you about that?"

"He didn't go into details. He just mentioned an incident happened," Phoenix explains.

Sam lowers his head, taking hold of his hat's brim again. "I'd… rather not talk about that, if that's okay with you."

"Er… Yes, that's fine." Phoenix assures.

Falcon swipes his arm across his eyes and clicks his pen back on.

"Got any other questions? If ya do, then shoot."

The team both instinctively look up at the fourth floor and then the pavilion encased in police tape.

"Can we go to the crime scene?" they ask in unison.

Samuel sighs as he looks back up at the duo. "Excuse me?"

"The crime scene… Can we go there to investigate?" Phoenix repeats.

"Nope."

"Huh," Phoenix yelps. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean no. I mean denied, unverified, opposite of yes, er…" The detective looks up in thought for a split second. "…No you can't go the hell in there."

"B-but!" Phoenix racks his brain on how to change the detective's opinion, until… "Look, I have this letter of request from my client!"

 _Letter of Request given to Detective Falcon_

The detective looks at Phoenix's outstretched hand, clutching the paper, then back at Wright with a disappointed look. "Hm… So you do."

As Falcon opens up the letter, Phoenix expects the detective to pretend to read over the paper before shoving it back to Phoenix with much haste, as if his life depended on that paper being away from him. However, none of that happens as Samuel's eyes genuinely dart over the paper, sparking some hope in Phoenix that Falcon would allow him to investigate.

However, that spark is soon doused out as Gator forms the paper into a nice, round ball by just closing his hand.

 _Crumpled Letter of Request tossed over to Phoenix_

"Hey!"

"Firstly, I'm not sure how shoving that in my face would've done anything."

" _It was worth a try!"_

"Secondly… Like I said, you can't go into the crime scene to investigate. Not until the police are done investigating, that is. It's the prosecution's orders."

Samuel gives a slight grin. "Speaking of which… He happens to be a close friend of yours. He said 'not to let a spiky-haired, blue-suited lawyer enter the crime scene before the police finish investigating.'"

" _Is he talking about Edgeworth?"_ Phoenix looks down in disappointment and annoyance, _"Well…thanks for making my job a little bit harder."_

"But, Sam…. We need to go in there to investigate," Maya pleads. "Our client's life is on the line! Is there anything you can do?"

"I'm sorry, prosecution's orders." Samuel looks down, thinking to himself before rushing out a short sigh,

"However, if it satisfies you both, then you have my permission to investigate anywhere else, just don't go near the crime scenes." The noir-styled investigator uses his pen to point behind him, "Including that one. Now, if you excuse me…"

Phoenix tries to get another word or two in, but before he even has a chance to think about getting a chance to, the detective disappears into the next area. The pair stands there speechless, mapping out their next course of action.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! I return from the dead! And with me I bring a story I've been working towards for the last seven months.**

 **So, I visited a hotel about a year or so back and was completely awestruck by its beauty. The moment I saw it I decided to write a case about it. And here we are! My pride and joy.**

 **And...I wanted to make this one a little bit more special, so I contacted a Tumblr artist and had her illustrate some pictures for me! There will be pictures in almost every chapter of this story as well.**

 **Whew...as I'm typing this, a bond is freeing from me... a smile across my face. I sincerely hope you all enjoy this story. It...took some time.**

 **I'd also like to thank Sjors (Reddit username: Sipia) for their dedication on being my beta reader through this story. And honestly, with all the help they gave me, I found it fair to list them as a co-creator.**

 **Thank you all for reading and have a nice day!**


	2. Howard and Sarah

**(AN: Hello! Enjoy this second chapter of Check-in at the Turnabout! Please do note that these beginning notes will get a lot shorter now. Therefore, you can jump straight into the chapter. The end notes will be reserved for profiles and evidence, so you can keep up with those that way (until I find a better way to do it).** **Another thing to note is the change of artists. After some complications, the last artist was not able to participate in this chapter but will return for future ones. That gave me idea, so expect new artists every new chapter including illustrations. The credit for this chapter's illustrations goes to Tumblr artist HoboNick.** **Thank you and enjoy!)**

* * *

"Well…that was something," Maya breaks the silence.

"And, we didn't really get anywhere. What are we supposed to do now?"

Maya rests her head on her pointer finger. "Well, he did give us permission to talk with anyone involved with the case."

"Yeah, but, considering Edgeworth, they've probably been told not to say anything about their testimony."

Maya looks down at the ground with a pout. "Well…I mean…"

The spirit medium darts her head back up as her eyes dash around the entire Second Hotel Center. She directs her stare to a room to their right, her body turning towards the direction not too long after.

"What's that over there?"

Phoenix looks up, his concentration snapped. He follows Maya's pointing hand. _"A seating area?"_ He thinks as he looks to the right. "I didn't see that when we came in here," he remarks.

Wordlessly, Fey starts to skip towards the room. Phoenix, for a quick second, contemplates calling out to her but knows it won't do much good. As he starts to follow her, Phoenix notes how this seating area is right near another entrance to the hotel. This grants the lawyer a view of more of the crowded parking lot outside.

"Wow… This room is… artistic," Phoenix hears from Maya.

As he steps into the area along with her, he's inclined to agree. The first thing that would strike an impression to anyone entering the room is its theme of Chinese culture, the amount of art contributing to said theme being the second impressionable thing.

The walls are lined with Chinese art, be it models or paintings. There's a glass case dead center in the room, Chinese artwork inhabiting spaces. In front of these pieces were small plaques informing the piece's origin from which dynasty and which year. _"These are… artifacts? These must've cost millions!"_ Phoenix reflects in disbelief. He notices that there were two similar cases lined against the wall to his left, another two to his right.

The only objects deviating from the Chinese theme is the furniture. Yet, the furniture maintains the posh theme that the hotel was dedicated to.

Phoenix looks at one of the cases closer to the exit area of the building. His eyes scan over the info cards in disbelief, as he reads what pieces came from where, each artwork from a different dynasty hundreds of years ago. Wright then hears an unknown sound behind him.

"Maya, don't touch that," Phoenix immediately assumes the worst.

"Nick!" Fey yells in anger. "I haven't even touched anything yet."

Phoenix wavers his view from the case to Maya behind him and, to his surprise, sees nothing broken.

"Oh… Sorry," Phoenix says as he looks back. _"Wait… Yet?"_

"They are all beautiful, are they not, sir and madam?"

The new voice startles the defense team, Phoenix looking to his left as Maya turns behind her.

The new voice belongs to a formal yet stuffy looking man standing – the team will admit – imposingly at the seating area's entrance. _"His stance looks a bit uncomfortable,"_ Phoenix internally remarks as he looks at the man's posture, that being his legs glued together and his back and neck upright as if his spine is as straight as a needle.

Phoenix figures the man is a butler. After all, his black suit, black shoes, well-tended raven hair, clean face, and spotless glasses imply so. Even from where Phoenix is standing, he can make out the hotel's logo etched into the suit. The name of the hotel under the picture is evidence of that.

The gentleman strides over to the team, who suddenly feel the need to straighten their posture.

"If I'm not mistaken, this hotel cost over one-hundred million dollars to finish. I have heard rumors, sir and madam, that twenty million went toward artwork new and old."

The team tries to stammer out a response, but each word they wish to speak extinguishes in their throats. They barely take notice of the man suddenly bowing in front of them.

"Oh, my apologies for spreading rumors. How may I help you, sir and madam?"

"Oh… We don't need any help, sir," Phoenix explains, finding the will to speak again.

"Hm… Are you quite sure? Perhaps you'd like to find a restaurant?"

"Not really?" Maya speaks up.

"We have several inside this wonderful establishment. There is one right behind us if you wish to enjoy a very good steak."

"Wait… Several?" Maya nearly shouts.

"No, we're seriously good. We're here on business, that's all."

"Ah, then perhaps you are looking for our ballrooms?"

Phoenix nearly facepalms. "No, that's not it at… Wait, ballrooms?"

The man nods his head. "Yes. Ballrooms for any events that wish to be hosted here. There are quite many around the hotel, but there is one area where many are gathered. If you wish to know where they are, you must go to the second floor. If you wish to go there, please exit the Second Hotel Center by taking a right from here. There, you will see an area with doors to a grand ballroom, two jade statues of elephants in front of it. Ahead, you shall come across a flight of stairs that'll take you up to the second floor where the majority of our ballrooms are gathered. The stairs are right near another restaurant, in front of another entrance."

" _Just how big is this hotel?"_ Phoenix reflects in disbelief. "Really, that's not why we're here."

"Hm, then perhaps…?"

Phoenix drowns out the rest of the man's explanation, breathing a sigh to himself. _"Maybe I could show him something that'll tell him why I'm here."_

Phoenix ponders on it until…

The lawyer pulls on his suit's lapel,which bears the pin. The man's explanation stutters to a halt as it catches his eye suddenly. _"Dull, Lector says. My baby's still got it!"_

"Excuse me, sir. Pardon my inquiry, but what is that upon your lapel?"

"It's my attorney's badge. I'm an attorney at law."

The man is silent for a second, then two, as if he were processing Wright's answer. Suddenly, the man's eyes widen in realization. "Ah! Yes, of course. I now understand. Would I be wrong to assume you must be here on Mr. Lector's behalf?" The man says in realization, bringing his hand to his chin.

"You'd be right. I'm Phoenix Wright and this is my assistant Maya Fey."

"Oh, my deepest apologies, sir and madam," the man bows in apology. "If it would please you, I will answer any questions you might have."

"Well, how about your name?" Maya asks.

"Yes, of course. My name is Howard May I Mel Yew."

The team rapidly blinks their eyes in confusion.

"My apologies. If it will be easier for you to remember, you may simply refer to me as Howard Yew."

After Howard's introduction, all three are silent, unsure of what to say. The silence seems to affect all three, but only Phoenix and Maya show any sign of it.

"Um…" Maya breaks the silence. "What's your role here, Howard?"

"Ah, I am the general manager for the hotel, overlooking day-to-day operations. Additionally, I am a personal butler for the hotel's owner."

" _He has to manage an entire hotel… and play butler to the owner? Well, at least I now know the owner's a real caring, selfless guy."_

"You must be really busy," Maya responds, her tone implying she felt sorry for Yew.

"It is no problem , Ms. Fey. While managing a hotel this large can be tasking, I enjoy my job so. I do not find it a monotonous task as other people tend to think my position is."

"So, being a general manager and all, would it be possible for you to have witnessed anything related to the murders?" Phoenix asks.

"Ah, did I witness anything you ask… I must admit, I did not see much related to the recent incident."

"Will you be appearing in court tomorrow?" Maya quizzes. Howard shakes his head.

"I'm afraid the prosecutor of this case did not see my testimony as important as other witnesses. However, I expected nothing else. For, as I had said, I did not see much."

" _Well… If that's the case, perhaps our friend Yew here would be willing to spill his guts."_ A pleased, yet devious smile creeps onto Wright's face. "Well, perhaps you can tell us what you did see."

Howard nods his head. "Very well."

Yew rubs his chin in thought, looking off toward no particular direction.

"Allow me to precede my account by explaining I have a particular routine every night. You see, I commonly go to every floor in the hotel, knock on every door, and ask guests who answer if they need any services of any kind."

"Every hotel room, huh?" Phoenix clarifies. "How many rooms are in this place again…?"

"About five-hundred, sir."

The duo nearly falls to the floor in surprise, just managing to hide their surprise. _"Didn't he say he did that every night?"_

"On the night of the murder, whilst I was midst of my routine, there was a power outage. I was on the third floor at around this time. I decided to take the stairs to the fourth floor and came across something of interest." Yew bows once more. "I must apologize, for what I'm about to say shall further accuse your client."

Dread runs over Phoenix's body. _"Great…can't wait to hear this."_

"Don't worry about us, Howard! We're sure of Lector's innocence anyways!" Maya chirpily responds.

" _At least Maya can keep a positive attitude in all this."_

Howard bows for what seems to the team the hundredth time. "Very well. When I arrived on the fourth floor, I saw someone exit the room. They quickly hurried off and left the door unlocked. I was not seen and I decided to investigate no further. At the time I was not aware of what happened and thought what I saw was no business of mine."

"And, let me guess… That person you saw was my client?"

The manager nods. "Indeed. You see, even if I couldn't make out much of the man's face, due to the blackout, I did notice something, or rather, a number of things shining from him. If I am not mistaken, your client is decorated with shiny coins, no? I am sure the defendant is the person I saw."

Phoenix nearly stumbles to the ground when three Psyche-Locks bound in front of Howard. It all happens so fast, Phoenix starts to get dizzy. _"Well… He's lying, that much is obvious. But what is our friend here trying to hide?"_

Yew slides his right sleeve up his arm, revealing a watch. He glances at the time before yelping out an "Ah."

"My apologies, but I have duties to attend to."

"Oh, it's no problem."

"If you do have anything else you like to ask about what I saw, please do not hesitate to request for me at the receptionist's desk. If I am available, I will answer any of your questions to the best of my abilities."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Yew," Phoenix thanks. _"Your lie was really helpful to my case."_

Howard doesn't fail to give another bow before walking away, disappearing somewhere else.

"Something about Howard's account seems… off," Maya speaks up.

" _Trust me, I should know,"_ Phoenix thinks to himself. "What did you feel was off?"

"I'm… not sure. I can't put my finger on it, y'know?"

Phoenix rubs his chin with his pointer finger in thought. "Well, I think we should take note of what he said regardless…"

 _Howard's Affidavit added to the Court Record_

"Well, where do you think we should go now?" Phoenix inquires soon as he finished jotting down Yew's testimony.

The medium looks down in thought, the lawyer doing the same not to long after. She suddenly looks up from the ground and waltzes out of the art-infested seating area. Posting herself just outside its entrance, she darts her head around until it stops to her left.

"Hey! Maybe we'll find a clue at this shop?"

Phoenix furrows his brow. "Shop… What shop?"

"Over here!"

Phoenix treads his way over to where Maya is standing, directing his attention to where she's pointing. Sure enough, he sees a little store right next to the seating area. With gratitude for the front of the store being entirely glass, Phoenix infers the store to be some sort of art shop from the number of figurines he can make out. _"Oh yeah, I did see that when we came in here."_

"You think we can find a clue inside this shop?" Phoenix asks doubtfully.

"I dunno!" she screams, her voice instantly switching to the defensive. "Maybe one of the murder weapons was a figurine!"

" _That sounds unlikely,"_ Phoenix comments to himself. "You know Maya, you can just admit you want to take a look inside the shop."

"Well…" she stutters. "I do a little… But I'm mostly concerned about the case!"

Phoenix taps his foot, taking another glance at the shop in thought. He finally breathes out a sigh.

"We can at least take a look."

"Yay!" Maya shouts. Her excitement shrinks back when she notices Phoenix's brows resembling an unbalanced scale.

"We're going to investigate!"

Wright shakes his head. "Just keep in mind we're here for Lector."

 **March 10, 2019 2:35 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center II**

 **Glass Art Shop**

When Phoenix first walks in, he immediately thinks it worrying that he can't see the cash register counter. The main reason being the maze-like arrangement the shop exhibits.

Phoenix and Maya didn't notice it when they took a quick glance at the shop moments before walking in, but now inside they now notice how many shelves there actually were. Two pressed up against the wall to the left of the entrance and a forest of others lining up most of the store. They look to their right and notice at least five glass shelves assembled horizontally in a row. The team notices another row of similarly-arranged shelves behind this row.

As the defense team casually wander around some of the shelves, they can't help but squint their eyes. Each shelf is lined with a glass piece, polished past perfection. Be it a tiny, fragile figurine or a small, yet bulky glass statue. Each shelf was decorated the same: Smaller and more fragile items at the top progressing to larger and bulkier items at the bottom.

What can't fit onto the shelves was reserved to stay on the floor, these certain items scattered around the shop. Phoenix starts to wonder if this really is a shop or just another art exhibit the owner wants to flaunt about. The lack of price tags over anything doesn't quell Wright's suspicion.

"Wow! These all look pretty!" Maya reflects in glee.

"They do look pretty nice," Phoenix outwardly admits.

Phoenix strolls past one of the shelves, the art lining each row lacking any specific theme. Phoenix takes note of small figurines of calmer animals while he notices larger pieces of people or random shapes.

The items that catch Phoenix's attention, though, is a model of the Justice Scale, its placement more towards the bottom.

Wright remarks to himself how well-designed the piece is. He squats towards the floor a little bit so the item is within better reach. Before picking it up, a voice inside Phoenix's head objects to doing so. However, the objection is overruled as Phoenix picks it up all the same.

As if instantaneous, Phoenix hears a voice behind him.

"Ooh, nice choice, sir! Would you like to pay with cash or with a card?"

Phoenix nearly drops the glass piece as he turns behind him. Maya snaps her attention away from a shelf as well.

The pair doesn't see anything when they first divert their attention. However, when they look down, they are met by a little girl with long, brown hair.

The girl is looking up at Phoenix, shining a smile so bright that'd rival Pearl's. The child, Phoenix remarks, wears clothes not typically seen on someone her age. That is, a women's suit jacket worn over a white shirt of sorts. The young girl is even wearing a black skirt and black dress shoes.

"Ah, hello there," Phoenix greets, snapping out of his thoughts. "Er… I didn't really catch what you said."

"I asked if you would like to pay for that with cash or a card, sir."

Phoenix looks at the small statue in his right hand. He shakes his head when he realizes what the girl is asking.

"Oh, no. I wasn't planning on paying for this."

The young girl's expression immediately sours. "You weren't planning on paying for it?" She asks, cocking her head to the side. Suddenly, the sad expression wipes away from her face as surprise make its presence.

"Sir! You don't mean what I think you mean…?"

Phoenix twists his face in confusion. "What do you think I…?"

The child starts to wave her hands, her tone of voice switching to that of pleading. "Sir, please! You don't have to do something this rash. I mean, you have to have some money, right? I can even give you a discount."

" _What in the world is wrong with this girl?"_ Phoenix thinks to himself. The lawyer looks over at Maya. Her expression confirms that she's as lost as Phoenix is.

"Uh… I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't planning on buying this."

The girl's pleads stop, her head slightly drooping.

"Well I apologize, sir, but I'll have to call the police."

"Call the police?" The defense team shout.

The young girl makes her way to the other end of the store, Wright and Fey following her. After passing the second row of shelves, they find the purchase counter, the girl on the other side picking up the phone.

"W-why are you calling the police?" Phoenix calls out. "We didn't even do anything!"

"B-but…" the young girl stammers, a little fear present in her voice. "You just admitted to stealing."

"S-stealing?" Maya screams in disbelief.

"All I said is that I wasn't going to buy anything!"

The girl taps her right temple with her pointer finger. "But… If you said you weren't going to buy anything… That must mean you're going to steal it!"

" _What kind of logic…"_

The girl puts the phone up to her ear, pressing a button soon after.

"L-look!" Maya shireks at the little girl. The child looks up at Maya curiously. "Nick just said we weren't going to buy anything. How does that mean he was going to steal it?"

"Yeah, I was just looking at it!"

"I'd appreciate if you didn't lie like that, sir," the girl states.

"Lie?" Phoenix shouts in question. "How am I lying?"

"You're saying that you were just looking at it, but that's not true if you picked it up! If you were really just looking at it, then you wouldn't have picked it up at all. You must've planned to take that statue away with you if you picked it up." The girl lowers her head. "I just find it sad that you were willing to break the law to get it."

"But I…" Phoenix's voice gets progressively lower, sounding devastatingly defeated. "I just wanted to get a closer look at it… How does picking it up mean I wanted to buy it?"

"Because of the sign out front, of course!" The girl cheerily informs, displaying her brightest smile.

"The sign?" Maya questions.

The girl nods her head. "Yep! The sign out front says that anything you pick up you have to buy. So, sir, unless you're changing your mind on stealing that, I'm calling the police."

The girl puts the phone to her ear again, shaking her head. "First last night and now this! It seems like this place is attracting thieves ever since the incident."

"Wait…" Phoenix calls out, the girl looking up at him with a smile.

"I didn't read, or even see, the sign out front. I didn't know that was store policy. I'll pay for it."

The young girl happily puts the phone back onto its base. "Great, sir!" The girl's expression droops again. "Let me apologize then. I didn't know you didn't see the sign. I'm sorry for the trouble, sir."

"It's fine," Phoenix awkwardly chuckles. "How much is it?"

"Two-hundred and twenty, sir."

Phoenix nearly falls to the ground in despair. _"Of course, it's two-hundred… Of course! I knew I shouldn't have picked this thing up."_

After a few minutes, Wright begrudgingly pays the price.

"So… Why does this store have that policy?" Maya asks.

After putting the money in the register, the girl looks up at Maya. "Well, the owner here said that because we sell glass items, he worries that bad things would happen to them. Like, if someone has dirty fingers or can't get a good grip on things." The young girl cocks her head to the side, tapping her finger on the side of her cheek. "Mr. Bailey claimed that, in order to avoid that, he made a rule that'll enforce some restrictions. That's why everything here looks so clean! Now, everything can remain intact and everyone's happy!"

" _Everything intact except for my bank account and everyone happy except for me."_

"I'm Maya, by the way, and this is my assistant Phoenix Wright."

" _Other way around, Maya."_

The young girl greets back. "Nice to meet you! My name is Sarah Vice."

"So… Do you run this shop often?" Phoenix asks.

"Only when Mr. Bailey is not here."

"I assume this 'Mr. Bailey' is the owner of this shop?"

Sarah nods affirmatively.

"How did you even get the position as a clerk here?" Maya inquires.

Vice twirls some strands of her hair. "Well, a month or two after my mom got a job here, it was Take Your Child to Work Day. Eventually, I started to wander around a bit and came across this shop. I noticed that Mr. Bailey was a bit busy that day and I helped him out a little!"

The young girl leans forward, her face brimming with glee as she eagerly clenches her fists. "At the end of the day, before Mother and I left, Mr. Bailey managed to convince the hotel's owner to offer me a deal to help him out at the shop whenever I have the time!"

Maya and Phoenix widen their eyes in surprise. "That's… impressive!" Maya remarks.

The young girl chuckles, a twinge of disappointment present. "Yeah. Though, I wished my mom thought the same."

Phoenix furrows his brows. "Your mother is not happy with your position?"

Sarah tilts her head in thought. "Well, not exactly that. She's glad that I'm hardworking, but she says I should be using my meticulous attitude towards something more important. She calls it a waste of potential."

" _Well, I certainly see what her mother means, but that's a bit rude still…"_

"So, how are you able to work at this shop? I mean… Don't you have school?" Maya asks, resting her head against her finger.

Vice immediately brightens up again. "Well, I usually only work here on certain holidays or when I'm on school break."

"Well, it's not a holiday or a school break that I know of." Phoenix outwardly ponders.

"Well…" Sarah speaks up, beginning to bounce on her toes. "My school gave me some time off considering I need to testify in court. They said they wanted me to have a little break because I'm in a stressful situation."

" _Well, that's understand- Wait…"_

"Did you say testify?" Maya manages to ask for Phoenix.

Sarah's smile dawdles a bit, her expression replaced with slight surprise as she feels the sudden rise in excitement. "Uh, yes," she manages to peep.

"Does that mean you saw something related to the murders?" Phoenix asks.

Sarah's smile returns. "Yes, sir."

Phoenix takes a quick glance at Maya. In that quick glance, Phoenix could see that the spirit medium had a look saying "I knew this shop would've been important to the case." Phoenix sighs to himself before he turns back to Vice.

"If you could, can you tell us what you saw?"

Vice is silent for a couple moments; a blank stare broken off by some quick blinks occupying the time. She then looks up in thought, twirling some of her hair again.

"I can't remember it too clearly, but I do remember some things."

"Well, whatever you do remember, you can tell us," Maya assures.

Sarah nods her head. "Ok, then."

She drapes her pointer finger to her chin as she delves into her thoughts once more. It isn't long until she comes out of them.

"I remember that when I was running the shop last night, the power went out." The girl sinks her head, a slight blush present on her cheeks. "I… got a bit scared and went over to the front desk where my mother was. I did notice that Mr. Howard wasn't there at the front desk when I went over there. I… think I remember he was talking with my mother before the outage."

Phoenix nods with a "Hm" as he jots down all the Sarah is saying.

"Er… My mother and I sat around the front desk for a while until we both heard something: a large bang! The both of us could immediately tell what it was."

"A gunshot?" Maya speaks up.

Sarah nods affirmatively. "Then, after we heard the gunshot, my-"

"I must say, Miss Vice, I'm quite disappointed. After all, I thought you promised to keep silent until tomorrow."

Vice's expression snaps immediately to shock, a twinge of fear also present. The new presence of a voice momentarily startles the defense team, but it's no mystery to them on who it is.

Phoenix turns around and is immediately greeted with the face of his childhood friend, Miles Edgeworth.

"Hello, Edgeworth," Phoenix greets.

"And a hello to you, Wright," the prosecutor greets back.

"We haven't seen you since the Hazakura Temple case!" Maya exclaims.

The red-clad prosecutor nods his head in agreement. "I'm afraid that I have been a bit busy with quite a few cases since then. Although, it seems that the only reason I've been assigned to this case is that other prosecutors were busy with just a few more." Edgeworth prefaces his next sentence with a smirk. "I'm not sure of your excuse, Wright."

"Oh, well, you know…" Phoenix stammers, awkwardly scratching his head with a just as awkward smile. "We've been busy as well with… things."

Miles chuckles in response. "Verily, it seems."

Not to Phoenix or Maya's surprise, Edgeworth's stern expression returns back into his face. "But, addressing the topic at hand," he begins, turning to Sarah. The girl looks up at the prosecutor with a grin of nervousness.

"Ms. Vice, I couldn't help but overhear you discussing the contents of your testimony when I walked in here."

The girl's eyes focus everywhere but on Edgeworth's eyes. "Well… yes?"

Miles sighs, folding his arms with his right forefinger tapping against his left arm. "If I'm not mistaken, I instructed you to not say anything about what you saw until court tomorrow, did I not?"

The girl sinks her head down. Despite Phoenix being unable to see her face, he could still see her pout of disappointment. "Uh… yes. I'm sorry, I kinda forgot."

Edgeworth pinches the bridge of his nose, looking off in another direction a moment later. "Just as long as you don't do it again. Save your story until tomorrow, if you will."

And as if nothing was wrong, Sarah pops her head back up, a smile ever so present. "Yes, sir!"

Vice turns to look up at Phoenix. "So, I apologize to you, sir, but you'll have to wait until tomorrow to hear my story."

" _Well… I knew that was too easy."_

"Well then," Edgeworth begins. "I shall be off, Wright. I just came in here for a quick greeting." Edgeworth turns to walk out until he snaps his fingers in realization.

"Ah, yes. Almost forgot."

Miles turns back to face Phoenix. "The police, for now, is done with their investigation with the victim's hotel room. If you wish, you can conduct your own investigation. I will have Detective Gumshoe accompany you, as to have someone monitor you."

"Aw, come on Edgeworth!" Maya jokingly whines. "You don't trust us?"

The prosecutor grins in response. "It is not a matter of trust, Ms. Fey, but rather the matter of procedure."

The grin soon disappears, the stern frown returning. "I shall see you in court tomorrow, Wright."

And with that, he quits from the shop.

"Did you two know each other?" Sarah speaks up.

Phoenix turns to her to nod his head in answer. "We're childhood friends. Don't mind his cold attitude. He's… usually like that."

"Well, it's been nice talking to you!" Maya starts to depart. "Nick and I need to leave to investigate!"

Phoenix prepares himself to object but quickly silences. _"I suppose with Sarah now silenced about her testimony, there's not much else to do here."_

"Oh, I understand! It's been nice meeting you as well."

Phoenix and Maya begin leaving the shop. However, they're stopped by a sudden call from Vice.

"Actually, can I tell you something right quick?"

The two turn to face her. "Yes, what is it?" Phoenix asks.

"When Mr. Bailey opened up the shop this morning, he noticed that we've been robbed."

Phoenix and Maya widen their eyes in shock. "R-robbed?"

Sarah nods her head. "Someone had stolen a really big statue that was sitting right over there."

The girl points over to a wall stationed across the entrance.

"Mr. Bailey already called the police, but I'm afraid they're not going to do much because of the incident. If you could find the time, could you help us find it?"

Phoenix narrows his eyes. "What made you think I'm the man for this job?"

The girl's smile answers Phoenix. "My mommy has heard and talked about you before; about how you solved impossible cases and everything!"

" _Ah, yes, of course. I forgot my sudden boost into celebrity status. Though…I am a bit interested in this statue incident."_

"Can you describe to us what it looks like?" Maya inquires.

The young girl reaches into her pocket. When her hand comes back up, a photo is in its clutch. "Mr. Bailey takes photos of every item in this shop. He makes multiple copies of each, so you can have this one!"

Phoenix politely accepts the photo and takes a look at it. _"Hmm, let's see… Gigantic, pink, a rectangular shape, and… really opaque. I can barely see the wall behind it, that's how blurred it is."_

 _Stolen Glass Statue added to the Court Record_

All parties give their parting statements, and the defense team starts heading out of the shop. However, the last thing stopping the team from exiting is something on a shelf that catches Phoenix's eye.

What caught his eye was not the fact the product was some sort of cleaning solution. What caught the attorney's eye is the fact said product had "Sutherland" plastered across its front.

Phoenix stops to further look at it, Maya's questions of "Why we're stopping?" falling upon his now deaf ears.

His mind returns back to the Detention Center… to the moment when Lector said Phoenix's badge was dull.

Phoenix looks down at his badge. _"Come on… What does he know?"_

Despite convincing himself of that, Phoenix couldn't help but stare at the cleaning product longer in contemplation. Finally, he snatches it off the shelf.

"Excuse me! I'd like to buy one more thing."

* * *

 **Court Record:**

 **Evidence:**

 **Crumpled Letter of Request: A letter of request from Lector. Or at least it was until Falcon got hold of it...**

 **Map of Hotel: A map showing directions to the Heavenly Lodgings. It seems there was a shortcut to get there faster, but it's blocked off now.**

 **Howard's Affidavit: An affidavit from Howard. He claims he saw my client come out the victim's room after the power outage.**

 **Stolen Glass Statue: A picture given to me by Sarah of a glass statue stolen on the night of the murder. It's large and opaque, so it must be hard to see past...**

 **Profiles:**

 **Phoenix Wright (24): Not much to say about me other than I'm a defense attorney.**

 **Maya Fey (18): My assistant and close friend. Is the sister of my late mentor. She's...energetic...to say the least.**

 **Lloyd Lector (45): The suspect of this case and my client. I'm not too sure about his past or why he was at the hotel that day. However, my Magatama proves his innocence.**

 **Dick Gumshoe (32): A homicide detective at the local precinct. He's usually heading these investigations, but he's assisting the head detective this time.**

 **Samuel Falcon (35): A homicide detective in charge of this case. He seems to like dressing up like a noir detective and is a bit rude...**

 **Howard Yew (30): The general manager of the hotel. Seems really dedicated to his job.**

 **Sarah Vice (8): A young girl that runs a small store inside the hotel at times. She seems dedicated and hardworking, but she's quick to assume some things...**

 **Miles Edgeworth (24): The prosecutor in charge of this case and also a close friend. I haven't seen him since Hazakura Temple case...**


	3. The Crime Scene

**(AN: Thank you for reading this chapter! For those following this story, apologies this was a long time in the making. I had to get the pictures for this one sorted out. Speaking of which, the pictures are illustrated once again by Tumblr artist HoboNick (there'll be a new artist for the next chapter, like I promised). Uh...there's probably a lot of future inconsistencies in the images, now that I realize, but it should be fine for now. Apologies for my laziness. Also, on my profile, you'll find an Imgur link to this stories Court Record. With my limited knowledge of Photoshop, I did the best I can. I just thought this would look cleaner. Ah...this has gone on long enough. Thank you for reading and see you next chapter which should be out a lot sooner!)**

* * *

"Wow! Look, Nick! These elevators have a glass wall!"

" _Nice to see the hotel still likes its glass. And its pompous look, might I add."_

It seems that the hotel thought that a normal elevator system is below its standards, that even a simple elevator needed to be glamorous. Yet, Phoenix can't lie; it certainly is a sight to see.

Phoenix does note how odd it is to show all the wiring of the elevators, but he doesn't pay much attention to that as hear Maya continue to exclaim the fact that the elevator has glass walls, allowing any occupant inside a gorgeous look at the Second Hotel Center.

Two of the four lifts finally come down, a small crowd of people emptying from the left one. When the right one opens, the defense team's eyes nearly bulge from their sockets. It doesn't take them long to hear Oldbag to begin talking as she starts to make her way out the elevator.

"Well, well, well, look who it is!"

Maya quickly grabs Phoenix's hand and pulls him towards the other empty lift. Despite the sudden pulling, Phoenix contently follows her. Both soon board the lift, pressing the "Close Door" button of the lift as if their life depended on it.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"

To their relief, the doors finally close.

"Youbunchofrudewhippersnappers! ,don't youwanttohearhowIbecameaspyforGatewatersoIcouldtellthemhowtobetterthatdump? ,I' ' ?Backinmyday,youcouldjustwaltzintoanyhotelroomandbtreatedlikeyou' .ThisgenerationisgoingdownhillI'mtellingyou… And get back here the both of you!"

" _We're nearly there, how can I still hear her?"_ Phoenix internally exclaims as the machine ascends to the fourth floor.

They finally reach the fourth floor and are both breathe a sigh of relief. However, stress is soon placed back within the both of them upon seeing the state of the fourth floor. It isn't hard to do so after seeing police tape and a body outline outside a hotel room. A police officer stands guard near the door.

Phoenix and Maya approach the crime scene, the officer immediately speaking up.

"Step away, please! This is a crime scene."

Phoenix prepares to speak up but finds the words faltering, surprised at the guard's irritable yelling. "I'm the suspect's defense and I'm here to investigate the scene," Phoenix informs.

"Edgeworth gave us permission to investigate here!" Maya finishes.

The guard squints his eyes in suspicion. "You are the defense, huh? Well, unless you can prove Prosecutor Edgeworth gave you permission, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

Phoenix shakes his head in disbelief. "W-what? B-but…"

"Sir, please don't make me ask again."

" _First Oldbag, now this?"_

"Come on! Why don't you believe us?" Maya pleads.

"Sir and Madam, I won't ask again. May you please leave this area or else?"

The guard impatiently taps his foot as team continues to stand there, stunned with disbelief. After a small span of time, the guard pulls out his pager.

"You leave me no choice…"

"Come on!" Maya begins to object once more. "Isn't this a little rash?"

"You're being uncompliant with an officer, madam! I'm afraid I'll have to remove you from the premises!"

" _From the premises? He… doesn't have the power to do that, right?"_

"Yes, uh… I have some uncooperative-"

Phoenix sighs in defeat as he starts to walk away from the officer, the guard silencing his report. "Come on, Maya," Wright instructs. The young assistant is hesitant at first but decides to admit defeat as well. Yet, they both freeze in their tracks when they hear another, yet familiar voice becomes present.

"Hm, what's going on here?"

They both turn around and see Gumshoe step out the crime scene, addressing the officer.

"Sorry you had to hear that, Detective. It's just those two right there wouldn't leave the crime scene when I told them so."

The guard points to the direction of Phoenix and Maya, Gumshoe's sight immediately directing there. His face brightens up when he sees the two "troublemakers."

"Hey! How ya' doing, pals!"

"Hey, Gumshoe!" Phoenix and Maya collectively greet. _"Though… You say that like you haven't seen us in forever despite just seeing us an hour ago."_

"These are friends of yours, Detective?" The guarding officer asks.

"Yeah! And they have permission to investigate the crime scene now! Mr. Edgeworth just called to tell me so a few minutes ago! You can let them in."

"Oh… My apologies, Detective," the guard bows. When he straightens back up, he only offers a head nod to the team, accompanied with a dry "Sorry."

Dick awkwardly scratches his head as he motions the two to follow him inside the room.

 **March 10, 2019 4:02 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Crime Scene**

"Sorry about him," Gumshoe apologizes when they all make it into the room, out of other officer's earshot. "Tim can be a bit… cranky at times."

" _Though, I'm not sure cranky would really fit that attitude."_

The Wright Co. step over some body tape lined across the pure white floor in a short hallway leading to the room. Maya nearly trips over a toppled lamp as Phoenix ponders the need for such an unnecessary passageway to enter the room. He ponders it just as much as the need for a seemingly random door to the right of him.

When they finally do enter the main part of the room, Phoenix immediately hears Maya's exclaims of marvel.

"Woah! Look at this room, Nick!"

Phoenix tears away from his thoughts and pastes his attention to the room. He is soon stunned like Maya.

Instinctively, everyone present squint their eyes. It's hard not to, considering the three large windows present in the main part of the room, the sun shining through brilliantly.

From what the defense team could see through their narrowing eyes, it's the largest bedroom they'd ever come across. This part of the room, Phoenix assumes, can easily fit twenty people at once, and perhaps some room would still be left. Decorating the room are multiple chairs and couches, desks, and tables with glass surfaces with lamps atop them. Adorning the wall are multiple mirrors and artwork. Near two of the couches is a TV atop a dresser. As Phoenix looks on, he notices the lack of a bed. _"Don't tell me the bed is in another room… and that this is some kind of living room!"_

However, Phoenix blinks once… and then twice… and when his eyes open again, the splendor disappears.

Whilst the room looks mostly the same, Phoenix now finds the room as a result of a murder.

Toppled over chairs, a broken TV lying pathetically on the floor, collapsed and broken lamps, and mirrors and pictures torn from the walls to lay hopelessly on the ground. The curtains are torn and even a crack in one of the windows.

As Phoenix looks down at the ground, he comes across a sickening sight that he has grown used to. Lining a part of the floor in front of another dresser is a pool of blood, body tape lined around it. From the body tape, Phoenix can make out that the victim's right arm was stretched out, his left arm closer to his body. His legs were extended but were also closer together.

The only things that seem like they don't contribute to the scene of a murder are the bags and items lining the tables and chairs that aren't toppled. _"Didn't seem like the victims really cared about organizing."_

"Hm… Well, it looked a lot more impressive when we first walked in here," Maya somberly comments.

Gumshoe chuckles in response. "Don't worry, pals. Same thing happened to me when I first entered here. Still looks pretty great in here! Well… minus the murder and all."

"It looks pretty devastated in here," Phoenix remarks.

"Yeah, it seems like a fight broke out between the killer and one of the victims."

"It's a shame that this gorgeous room was destroyed," Maya inserts.

"But…" Phoenix begins, taking another glance around the room. "Why is it so big? I understand three people had to be here, but this seems excessive. Couldn't each of them had a separate room?"

Gumshoe nods in response. "They did."

"What?" Phoenix and Maya simultaneously express.

"Well… Kinda. This room belonged to one of the victims while he rented out another room for the other two."

"So, this room just belonged to one person?" Maya asks to confirm. Gumshoe nods his head in answer.

" _Well, I kinda have a feel on what type of person one of the victims was."_

"But, let's get to work, shall we? Anything you'd like to know, just ask me!"

"Hm…" Phoenix hums as he rests his finger on his chin. "I suppose we can start with the victims."

Gumshoe gets up from his seat, fishing inside his coat pocket. When his hand comes out of the coat, a manila envelope accompanies it.

"Well, here are some copies of the autopsies for each of the victims. The victims are Bob Stir, Carter Fly, and Dan Flynch. I'll give you a second to read those over."

Wright opens the envelope and out falls three papers. Fey stands by the attorney's side to get a good look at the reports as well. _"Let's see what we have here…"_

Page 1/3:

Victim #1 – Bob Stir:

The time of death is estimated to be at 10:31 PM. The victim was stabbed in the head. Due to the depth and position of the wound, the victim was most likely paralyzed upon being stabbed, yet the wound still assured death. The victim's death was not instantaneous. The victim has a slight bruise on his left arm, suggesting a struggle may have occurred.

Page 2/3:

Victim #2 – Carter Fly:

The time of death is estimated to be at 10: 29 PM. The victim was shot near the kidney, the wound piercing several vital intestines. The victim's death was instantaneous. There is a small wound on the victim's forehead, placed closer to his right temple. The victim is covered in scratches and bruises, suggesting a struggle may have occurred.

Page 3/3:

Victim #3 – Dan Flynch:

The time of death is estimated to be at 10: 34 PM. The victim was bludgeoned once, resulting in an instantaneous death. The wound is placed around the center of the victim's forehead. The wound suggests that the weapon used was small, yet heavy enough to kill in one hit. The victim's neck has been broken, likely due to the hit. Both of the victim's arms are covered in a small bruise, suggesting a struggle occurred.

"That must've been scary… their final moments," Maya grimly reflects.

"Yeah, it's pretty bad," Gumshoe speaks up again. "But… I guess you kinda get used to hearing that kind of stuff with a job like mine."

"You don't mind if we keep these, Detective?"

The scruffy detective brightens up again. "Yeah, go ahead!"

Gumshoe awkwardly scratches his head whilst sporting a goofy smile. "Those… may have been my only copies, but I can always get some more!"

" _Why am I not surprised?"_

 _Autopsy Reports added to the Court Record_

"And also, as a little gift for ya, here's some copies of the crime scene photos!"

Finished saying that, Gumshoe snatches three small photographs from the same pocket, handing them to the team. Phoenix and Maya take a quick look through them.

The photo of the first victim is placed at the entrance of the room's door. Phoenix recalls the placement of body tape over there when he first walked in.

The first photo shows a bald-headed man in some suit sans a tie. The man's build is burly, giving off the impression that people rarely picked a fight with him. And those who did… few would have lived to tell the tale. However, the man's defeat must've finally come as he lays lifeless on his back, a knife protruding from his head, blood trickling down the side. His mouth is open and eyes are glassy. Phoenix notes that due to the position of the body, the door of the room would've been impossible to close.

Phoenix takes a glance at the photo of the second victim. Phoenix doesn't find it surprising that the position of the body is the same of that of the respective body tape. The build of this victim is not as bulky as the previous person, however, despite his smaller physique, it still seemed that if the man were in a fight, he would fare well, if not win. The man's back hair is slicked back in the same way as Lector's hair. This victim too wears a tie-barren suit. However, unlike the other man's suit, this victim's bears a lapel pin. A beautiful pin of a Monarch Butterfly.

"Is… he smiling?" Maya asks under her breath, only barely audible to Phoenix.

Upon hearing the question, Phoenix looks to confirm so. The smile etched into this victim's face is small, yet visible. The pleased grin sends a chill down Phoenix's spine. He quickly looks at the next image.

The next image is placed in a different location. Phoenix and Maya see that the body is placed under one of the pavilions they observed in the Second Hotel Center. _"Now that I think about it, there was police tape around there."_

The victim, with the same build as the second victim, lies on his back, his body twisted in an unnatural way. A large bruise laces the front of his head, blood seeping from the wound. Phoenix takes a harder look at the image but sees nothing else worth noting. He puts all three photos in his pocket.

 _Crime Scene Photos added to the Court Record_

"Thank you for these, Detective," Phoenix says.

Gumshoe breaks into a hearty chuckle. "No problem! If you need anything else, just ask me! I'll be right here, keeping a close eye on you."

Dick's demeanor sulks a bit. "Sorry, about that. It's not that I don't trust you, it's just procedure."

"Don't worry, we understand," Maya assures.

Phoenix walks over to the body tape near the dresser. He takes out the respective picture to compare the two places.

"The name of this victim is… Carter Fly, right?"

Wright can just barely see Gumshoe nod his head.

"What can you tell me about the victims?"

"Well…" Gumshoe begins, scratching his chin in thought. "I know Carter ran a corporation of sorts. It was… Monster…"

Gumshoe shakes his head in denial. "No… it was… Butterfly?" The police investigator looks up in confusion as he ponders the name. "I can't remember the name but I think the company dealt in loans and info trading. That's all I can remember for right now."

The gumshoe's hands disappear inside his pocket. "Though… I swore I heard of his company before."

" _Hm…loans, huh?"_ Phoenix ponders to himself. "Is it possible, Detective, that the killer murdered Carter because they couldn't pay back a loan he gave them?"

Gumshoe shrugs in response.

"Did… Lector have any loans with him?"

Gumshoe shakes his head. "No. Believe me, we checked that as soon as we found out where the victim worked. Yet, as it turns out, the defendant didn't make any loan deals with Carter's company ever."

"So… The question of Lector's motive is still being discussed?" Maya inquires, Gumshoe's head nod answering her question.

Phoenix takes a glance at the dresser in front of the body tape. He doesn't fail to notice a bloodstain on the corner of one of the dressers.

"Where did this bloodstain come from?"

"Oh… Well, we think that's where Carter hit his head. Sam is theorizing that the victim was standing up before he was shot. And, when after he was shot, he hit his head on the way down."

"Couldn't it have come from the struggle?" Phoenix wonders.

The detective scratches his head with a shrug. "Maybe?"

A "Hm" echoes from Phoenix as he deviates his attention from the dresser's corner to direct it to the rest of the room.

"Speaking of which… There was definitely a struggle here, right? Are the police sure that this wasn't the result of some party?"

"Could be but we're mostly sure the victims and the killer got into a scrap."

"So…" Phoenix begins, his mind thinking over the autopsy reports. "The one that was mostly involved in the struggle that toppled over everything was… Carter, right? Considering the autopsy says he has the most bruises on him?"

"That's what Sam believes."

Phoenix strolls over to one of the desks in the room. Phoenix steps over the toppled desk chair, nearly tripping over a shattered lamp in the process. On the desk is a backpack, the bag with clothes and other items in it, the former spilling over onto the table. Phoenix looks at the table. Despite the large crack present on the surface, Phoenix sees nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until he looks towards the wall behind the table.

Wright notices many plug sockets in the wall. However, the one that captures Wright's attention is the one with a cord protruding from it, the cord leading to a snapped end as if the cord was broken in half, the longer end being made off with. Phoenix thinks over what the cord could've belonged to.

Until it hits him.

" _Shouldn't there be a phone here?"_

Wright turns his question to Gumshoe, the latter grinning knowingly.

"So… You noticed that too, huh?"

"Ah… So, the investigators know about this?"

"Mhm. Sam's thinking that the defendant forcibly took out all the phones from the room. Or, I guess in your case, the real culprit stole them."

Gumshoe deviates his eyesight from Phoenix. "Though… No one's sure exactly why."

Phoenix strokes his chin with his pointer finger in thought. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the phones?"

The scruffy investigator scratches his head in thought. "Um… They can work without needing power from the wall."

"Huh? How is that possible?" Maya queries.

"Well, as you can see, they're plugged in to the wall. But, in the case of a blackout, there's a battery inside it that'll make it still operational. We checked several other rooms and it was the same thing with all them."

" _I think… This will be a good thing to take note of."_

 _Missing Phones added to the Court Record_

After a tiny period of discussion amongst the defense team, Phoenix suggests checking one of the bedrooms. Yet, the Wright Co. find nothing of interest inside the room.

Maya suggests to check the kitchen. After Phoenix finishes expressing his shock on the fact that a kitchen is present in a hotel room, he's not surprised at Maya's suggestion. However, nothing of interest comes up either. _"Unless, half-drunk sodas and empty takeout boxes are clues."_

The team, now feeling a twinge of desperation, decide to check every desk and dresser in every part of the entire room. Phoenix checks under some broken items as Maya opens every drawer. All the while Gumshoe looks on in slight amusement.

The search lasts for ten minutes, until…

"There's not much of anything in here, is there?" Phoenix declares.

"Yeah… Police thought the same thing," Gumshoe answers, overhearing the attorney's comment. "Really, besides the bodies, the only other things we found worth noting was the phones. But… That doesn't really prove anything."

"Did we…" Maya starts to wonder, suddenly snapping her fingers at the hit of an idea. "What about outside?"

Gumshoe squints his eyes. "Huh? Uh… I don't think this room has a balcony…"

Maya's bright expression weakens at the detective's response. "I actually mean the hallway outside."

Gumshoe's expression sulks down with hers, realizing his own mistake. "Oh… there. We didn't really check there, so sure, knock yourselves out."

" _Maybe we'll have better luck out there rather than here. Though, I hope not to do much interacting with Tormenting Tim."_

The team exit the room and sure enough, the designated guarding officer still stands on duty. When Phoenix and Maya exit out into the hallway, the guard turns his head to give them a glare filled with annoyance. The pair, when they are confronted with the scowl, freeze in their tracks, passing a small amount of time with uncomfortable silence.

It's not until Phoenix clears his throat that the guard uses it as a sign to cease his hateful stare.

" _Maybe 'Tormenting' isn't the word to describe either…"_

Maya strides over to the banister, looking over the breathtaking sight that is the Second Hotel Center. Phoenix's eyebrows uneven as she rests her arms on the banister.

"What do you think would be out here anyways?"

The young spirit medium taps her pointer finger against her cheek. "I dunno… Maybe we'll stumble on something?"

" _Seriously? I doubt that's gonna-"_

The attorney cuts himself away from his thoughts when he feels something crunch under his feet. At first, Wright thinks that the crunch beneath his feet are food crumbs and that this type of cleanliness oversight is uncharacteristic of the hotel. _"But… That felt a bit harder than food crumbs."_

His right leg raises from the floor and revealed is something shiny of a purple color. Wright bends down to garner a better look and he's met with:

"Pieces of glass?"

"Huh? What's wrong?" Maya asks as she turns around and joins the ground with Phoenix.

"There's some pieces of glass here," Phoenix confirms as he picks up one of the pieces. "Must've broken off of something… but what?"

His assistant shrugs.

" _Hm...if the police missed this, I probably should take note of it."_

 _Glass Shards added to the Court Record_

"Do you think we should tell Gumshoe about this?"

Phoenix considers this question. "Well… If we don't tell anybody, there's a strong possibility they may get vacuumed away. Then, no one else would know about this."

Fey nods in agreement. "Let's see what else we find here, then we'll tell him!"

The young woman skips back towards the banister, Phoenix rising to his feet again.

"Huh… So, all you attorneys aren't bad after all…"

Wright nearly leaps in shock as he turns behind them to further remind himself of "Tormenting Tim's" presence.

"Good thing you have, at least, some integrity."

"T-thank you?" Phoenix unsurely replies.

"Hey, Nick! Come look at this!"

Phoenix's line of sight deviates from the guard to focus on Maya. As he expected, she's leaning against the banister. However, her arm is pointing to somewhere in the Second Hotel Center.

Wright makes his way to where she is. "What is it?"

"Look! That pavilion right there!"

The attorney looks at said pavilion, quickly noticing that it's the pavilion they were barred access from earlier, as well as the one in the third crime scene picture. The police tape wrapped around it and the body tape in the dead middle of its floor confirms that.

"What about it, Maya? Do you think there's some clues down there?"

Maya sighs in annoyance. "There are some clues down there but I think we can only see it up here! Take another look!"

Phoenix scratches his head in confusion and takes a look again. However – he remarks to himself – there's nothing of importance he can see. All he notices is the body tape, the police tape, an officer posted in front of the structure, and the make-up of the structure in general.

A ceramic floor with three small steps leading up to it and four thick and wooden beams holding up the roof, a roof made up of a square outline with several, vertically placed wooden beams only a little spaced between each other to fill in some of the empty square's space, one of the beams painted with a medium-sized bloodstain.

" _Wait… what?"_

Phoenix takes another look again and sees something he didn't see the first time. A bloodstain smudged against one of the beams.

"What is blood doing there?"

"I was wondering that too!"

Phoenix rubs his chin in thought. _"I'm not even sure how it would get there. I should take note of this anyways."_

 _Mysterious Bloodstain added to the Court Record_

"I think that's all we're going to find here," Phoenix declares. _"I'm surprised how little the crime scene gave us this time…"_

"Where do you want to go now?"

Wright leans his arm onto the banister, soon disappearing into his thoughts. He ponders Fey's question until an answer hits him.

"How about we investigate Lector's room?"

Maya clasps her hands together. "That's a great idea!"

However, as fast as her disposition brightens, she immediately looks away in thought.

"But how are we gonna get into his room? It's most likely locked."

"Maybe…" Phoenix begins. "We can ask an employee for his keycard? Maybe the receptionist?"

"Well, maybe we should tell Gumshoe about those glass shards first."

Phoenix nods in agreement, the team not taking much time to do so. They later exit out the room and go call for the elevator, prepared to talk with the receptionist in the Hotel Center.


	4. Lector's Room

**March 10, 2019 5:21 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center I**

As soon as the defense team makes it back to the ground floor, they immediately make their way back to the First Hotel Center.

To both of their surprise, they find the First, as well as the Second, Hotel Center, near barren than it was a few hours ago. Save for a few – albeit fast asleep – people slumped in various chairs around the area and the one hotel guest, who had yet to be checked in, looking around for some assistance, the lobby gives off an impression that the hotel itself isn't all that popular.

After observing this, Phoenix and Maya refocus on the task at hand. It isn't long until they spot the receptionist's desk. Wright breathes a sigh of relief when he doesn't find it barren like earlier.

Behind the marble counter now sits a woman, who the pair guessed to be in her mid-twenties. Her suit jacket over a white button-up and black suit pants certainly make her look apt to work in such a prestigious hotel. Wright and Fey wonder, however, if she is even able to see through her brown hair that's draping over her stern and focused face as she scribbles hurriedly on something.

When the Wright Co. approach the desk, they are surprised to see the woman has unnoticed their presence. It's not until Maya, stealing the opportunity from Phoenix, clears her throat that the woman looks up.

"Oh! Hello! My apologies, I didn't see you."

Phoenix awkwardly scratches his head. "It's fine."

"Welcome to the Heavenly Lodgings Hotel. How may I help you today?" The receptionist's face brightens up. "Oh! Are you the honeymoon couple with the two-story suite I've been hearing about?"

Maya starts to giggle at Phoenix's immediate objecting. "N-no! We're just here to-"

However, both Phoenix and Maya's faces deadpan as they recall the woman's words.

"Did you say two-story?" Maya queries.

The woman nods her head. "There's only two inside the hotel, both being at the very top floor. They rarely get rented out, probably because of their steep price, so it's a bit of an occasion whenever a reservation is made for them."

The woman lays a hand to her chest as she breaks into small laughter. "However, going off your reaction sir, it was wrong of me to assume you were that couple. I'm sorry."

The Wright team shake their heads at how causal the woman speaks about this stupefying feature. Wright breathes out a bewildered sigh and gets back to his point.

"Well, we're not a couple or even guests here at all, actually. I'm Phoenix Wright and this is my assistant Maya."

"Oh!" The female receptionist immediately jumps up. "I've heard about you before. I actually observed one of your trials once as my daughter thought it'd be 'productive and informative.' Her words, not mine," the woman clarifies as she leans forward excitedly. "That Gant fellow was a real tough nut to crack, huh? Congrats on that case!"

Wright awkwardly chuckles as he rubs the back of his head. "O-oh… Thank you."

" _Honestly, at this point, I wonder if there's anyone in this hotel that doesn't know me."_

The woman picks up a pen only to tap it against her chin. "Are you here for the murders that occurred yesterday?"

"Yep!" Maya answers. "We believe Lector is innocent!"

The woman's hand rests against her hip. "Well, too bad I can't be up there supporting you in the gallery."

" _Hm? I wonder what that means."_

"But, for now, I'll try to help you in any way I can!"

"Well… is it possible we can have the keycard to Lector's room?" Phoenix immediately addresses.

The receptionist's eyes widen in surprise. "H-his keycard?"

"We want to try to see if there are any clues there," Maya explains.

The woman taps her pen against her forehead this time, looking up inquisitively. "I dunno if Mr. Lodgings would be okay with that. Maybe I should go ask him."

The woman lifts up from her chair, Phoenix noticing from his peripheral vision that she closes a book. _"Is that what she was writing in earlier?"_

"Please give me a second to go ask the owner if I can give you Mr. Lector's keycard."

The woman strides off, soon disappearing into the Second Hotel Center.

"Don't even think about it."

Maya looks up at Phoenix surprised. "W-what are you talking about?"

"The book. Don't look in it."

Fey pouts in frustration. "I wasn't even thinking about looking in it!"

It doesn't take long for Wright to see a single Psyche-Lock click over her, Phoenix not stumbling from dizziness this time. He wonders if it's because he's accustomed to these again or because of how blatant the lie is.

Maya folds her arms angrily as Phoenix resolves to look behind him. The giant screen that he noticed when he first walked in catches his attention again. Wright slowly walks closer to the screen, his eyes darting about the advertisements and scrolling news about the screen. In the middle of it all, is yet another advertisement, a commercial for – Phoenix finds it eye-raising – the hotel itself.

The commercial soon ends and is replaced with a news broadcast. The lack of sound coming from the screen doesn't deter Phoenix as the picture of the hotel is enough to tell the lawyer what the broadcast is about. A picture of Lector's mugshot flashes on the screen suddenly. The hopeless expression of Lector reminds Phoenix's goal in this case, sparking determination within him again. _"I promised you, Lector… I won't let you down!"_

"Hey, Nick!"

Phoenix turns to face Maya to find her holding open a small, brown book. Wright immediately squints his eyes in disappointment upon seeing so.

"Maya! I thought I told you not to look in there!"

"Not now, Nick!" She shoots back. Fey suddenly looks around for the presence of anybody paying attention to their conversation. Although she sees the coast is clear, she brings her voice to a whisper. _"I think I've found a clue."_

Phoenix's eyebrows uneven, his interest piqued. He makes his way over to Maya to look in the book with her.

" _What is this?"_ Phoenix whispers with her.

" _I think this is her diary. But, that's not important. Look here."_

The attorney looks at where his assistant's finger is pointed at. On the left side of the page, there's only one paragraph positioned near the top of the page. Wright decides to read the passage.

 _No. Why here? With all the hotels in this city, why here? I just wanted to forget about that. Can't he let me move on? Dammit, why did I ever choose to go with him? And he looked so smug about it too. And he tried to fool me, acting like he didn't know I worked here. Like coming here was chance. No. You just wanted to see the look on my face. You just like seeing people suffer, like torturing people. I can't deal with him anymore. I gotta get rid of him. I gotta get rid of him. And fast._

Phoenix's eyes widen while he reads the passage. When he's done, he rubs his eyes as the feeling of exhaustion takes over him.

" _And that's not the only thing,"_ Maya brings to attention.

She points to something above the large paragraph. Phoenix notices it's a date.

 _May 9_ _th_ _, 2019_

" _The day of the murder,"_ Phoenix concludes.

" _Exactly!"_

" _We just met this woman. How is she already a suspect?"_ Phoenix thinks to himself.

" _Well… We can't take this with us,"_ Wright reminds Maya. _"I'll just make note of this. Put that back before she comes back."_

Maya nods understandingly, putting the diary. Phoenix notes that barely an effort was made to return it to almost the original position but he thinks that the receptionist shouldn't be the wiser.

 _Diary Passage added to the Court Record_

As soon as the small book is returned, the clacking of heels echoes in Phoenix and Maya's ears. A quick look to their right tells them that the receptionist has returned, her expression no different than when she left.

"Thank you for waiting," she greets as she sits back down. "Mr. Lodgings said it'd be alright for you to borrow the keycard. After all, the police have already searched there."

"T-thank you," Phoenix appreciates. _"I should be glad. But…"_

Unease stirs within Wright's stomach as he stares on at the woman, currently fishing through a large book, Phoenix guesses she must've just brought out, filled with keycards.

"Here you go," she speaks up after handing over a keycard from one of the book's sleeves. "Don't worry too much about losing that. I have another copy, anyways."

Maya decides to take the card. "Thank you, Miss…"

Fey's voice fades out as she immerses in thought. "I actually don't think you gave us your name," Phoenix realizes.

"Oh?" The woman's expression immediately turns bashful. "I'm sorry. I mean, you gave me your name and everything. I'm Ruth Vice."

"Oh, Vice?" Maya interjects. "We met another Vice a few hours ago. I think her name was… Sarah?" Maya looks up in thought, tapping her finger against her chin.

"Oh… You must be talking about my daughter."

"Your daughter?"

"Yeah. I hope she didn't cause you any trouble."

Phoenix's faux pleased expression masks the despairing thought of removing two-hundred and twenty dollars from his wallet, handing it to the beaming little girl. "Nope! No trouble at all."

"Yeah, she can be a bit of a handful, especially with me being a single mother and all, but she's a bright young girl."

"Yeah… But you don't seem very happy what Sarah is doing," Maya brings up.

For the first time, Ruth's constantly happy and cheerful expression breaks in front of the two. "Oh… She mentioned that?"

The team nods.

The older Vice massages her temples. "Well, don't get me wrong. I'm happy with what's she doing. But she seems too comfortable with it. Almost as if this was the pinnacle of what she's going to do. And… I know my Sarah is a lot more of that. Why sell yourself short?"

"I can understand that," Maya speaks up. "But… She is still a kid. Maybe she seems comfortable now but I'm sure she'll strive for something more later."

"You're not the first to tell me that, trust me," Ruth chuckles, the laugh sounding stilted. "Still… As her mother I just want to make sure she does better than me. Make better decisions, you know? I guess I just don't want to turn away from anything I think are 'warning signs.'"

" _At least I understand both perspectives now."_

A clap from Ruth's hands suddenly echoes in the lobby, her cheery expression returning. "Anyway, I guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Mr. Wright?"

"Huh?" Phoenix cocks his head. "Oh, right. Sarah is testifying, right?" Phoenix reminds himself.

"Not just her but me as well."

The defense team's heads shake in unison. "W-what?"

"Hmhm. I'm one of Mr. Edgeworth's witnesses as well."

"Hey…" Maya addresses Ruth, a devious demeanor illuminating from her. "Maybe you could…"

"Nope! I'm not allowed to say anything! Prosecution's orders."

" _Well, if Sarah wasn't going to be easy, I shouldn't have expected Ruth to be different."_

"Hey! If you want to search Mr. Lector's room, I'd suggest getting started, you two." Ruth gestures her hand towards a wall behind them. "It's getting a bit late."

Phoenix and Maya look at the gestured wall. Per Vice's word, the time till sunset is approaching only a mere two hours from now.

"Thank you, Ms. Vice," they say in unison as they walk off more hurriedly than usual.

 **March 10, 2019 5:43 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lector's Room**

The door closes with a click behind them as they walk into Lector's room. Phoenix couldn't tell why he felt disappointed despite the still lavishly designed room. _"Is it because of the size?"_

That seems like a logical answer to him. After all, after seeing the victim's hotel room, the major downgrade of space made the room seem cheap, despite the spotless bed and carpet, extravagant – yet small – table with chair in the corner, the bedtable to the right of the bed, and large center-positioned dresser against the left wall with giant TV adorning the top.

"Hey! This one has a balcony!"

"Well… I guess Carter's room didn't have that."

Walking further into the room, Phoenix can see another wall with a closet door. Wright walks over to it and opens it, only to find nothing of interest. _"Though, Lector owning nothing but suits is… kinda interesting."_

The closet door shuts.

Phoenix turns around to see Maya overturning the bedsheets, the previously neatly arranged covers now left to be scattered on the floor.

"J-just make sure to straighten those back up."

Phoenix walks over to the table in the corner, situated near the balcony door. Phoenix takes note of the dirty, gold colored plate on the table, not paying much mind to it when he first walked in. The large bone on the plate confirms what meal Lloyd was having. However, something causes Phoenix to raise his eyebrow.

"Hey. The plate is missing a knife."

Maya turns her attention from nearly tossing the bedsheets to the other side of the room. "Huh?" She calls out as she walks over.

"It looks like Lector was eating steak here but there's no knife on this plate."

"Maybe someone took it?" Maya responds, trying to answer Phoenix's little mystery.

"Probably. But, I guess the question is why."

Maya leans in closer, inspecting the plate. Suddenly, her eyes widen in realization.

"Hey! I think I know where the knife is."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Lemme see the crime scene pictures right quick."

A second or two passes as Wright processes her request, while also thinking about the reason for it. Nonetheless, he reaches into his inner pocket and takes out the pictures of the crime scene photos. Maya grunts in frustration seeing the pictures now out of order, immediately pulling out the last picture in the thin pile. A gasp of excitement escapes her as the picture she desires greets her: the first crime scene photo.

"Look here."

Wright looks where the medium's finger is pointing, the spot of the picture being the knife protruding from Bob Stir's head.

"The knife here is painted gold, right? And the plate and fork here look kinda the same. Maybe the knife is not here because…"

"It's stuck in the victim's head, right?"

Maya nods approvingly.

"Hm… Good eye. It's kind of a long shot, I will admit."

Maya's delighted look soon morphs into a pout. "Nick! You bluff in court all the time! Why are you telling me about long shots!"

"I do not!" Phoenix immediately retaliates. "However, if the knife found in the first victim's head did really come from this room, then this is something I should at least take a note of."

 _Steak Plate added to the Court Record_

Maya soon goes back to ripping the sheets from the mattress. _"The bed is only so large. What exactly are you planning to find?"_

Phoenix decides to take a more normal investigative approach and heads for the dresser. He looks behind the TV to check for any potential clues, the only items behind it being the wires. Phoenix looks down at the dresser itself, only bearing three large drawers.

Wright takes a look in the first drawer and only find toiletries. Phoenix raises an eyebrow at the sight of a type of cream used for burn treatments. However, he thinks nothing more of it and closes the drawer.

The second drawer is equally as uninformative as folded suits crowd it. _"How many suits does a man need to own?"_

However, when Phoenix opens the third drawer, that is when his interest is more than mildly piqued.

In the third drawer is only one neatly folded suit.

Even a layman would find this sight questionable. _"Why would Lector put just one in here? And directly in the center, I might add."_

Wright lifts up the folded articles of clothing and finds nothing of interest on them itself.

However, the single envelope that's below them is of Wright's interest.

Phoenix puts the folded suit into another spot in the drawer and picks up the black envelope. He hears Maya sigh in disappointment as he stops hearing the chaotic ruffling of the bedsheets.

"Didn't find anything, Maya?" Phoenix calls out, a snarky tone in his voice.

"No!" She cries out, collapsing face flat on the bed. "Did you?" Phoenix manages to hear her say, despite her muffled voice.

"I found an envelope."

Phoenix nearly jumps in shock when he finds Maya suddenly at his side not even a second later. _"How did she…?"_

"This was in Lector's drawer?"

Wright nods as he reaches into the already open envelope and remove a slip of paper, folded the same way as the envelope. A couple unfolds later and the team confirms it's a letter. They resolve to read it to themselves.

 _Lloyd Lector,_

 _After you finish reading this letter, I am sure I won't have to introduce myself. I am of the understanding that there is an investigation opened against my company, correct?_

 _I unfortunately find this investigation very inconvenient and would wish for it to disappear. I know that, with your position, you have the power to honor my request. If you do so, I will, in return, compensate you more than handsomely._

 _However, I will warn you this, Mr. Lector. If you choose to ignore this letter, then I may be forced to take drastic measures that will surely make you regret that decision._

 _Thus, if you genuinely care for the well-being of all your co-workers, I would suggest you comply._

 _You have until two days from now to act,_

 _C.F_

"This is a…" Phoenix begins to stumble.

"…some threat against Lector!"

Phoenix folds the letter back to its original folding, stuffing it back into the envelope. "What is Lector doing with this? And what is this about an investigation?"

"And what position did Lloyd have in the past?" Maya also asks.

" _I think this is something I need to take with me. Lector needs to answer us about this."_

 _Threatening Letter added to the Court Record_

The drawer shuts close with a loud slam. "Let's finish looking around and then we can go to the Detention Center."

Maya's head bobs once in understanding. Yet, she looks up in thought. "Though… I think we checked everywhere in here."

The spirit medium looks toward the balcony door. "Except the balcony."

"Well, let's hurry," Phoenix points towards the bedside clock. "Visiting hours are going to close soon."

An unlock and opening of the sliding glass door later, the cool air of the outside blast over them. The two waste no time relishing in the fresh air as they step out. However, it seems Maya is still easily distracted as she rushes over to the banister in bewilderment.

"Woah! Look at the view, Nick!"

Phoenix – he tries to convince himself that he did it begrudgingly – joins the banister with her. "That is gorgeous."

But he soon shakes his head to remind himself of their reason here. When Phoenix doesn't see her leave the banister as well, he doesn't bother calling out to her.

To Phoenix's unsurprise, there is nothing of interest back here. Only items being a grungy, white table with equally as old and deteriorated white chairs. Wright sighs to himself as he checks under him, just so he can say he checked.

The other object on the balcony was a large flower pot filled to brim with soil with a sunflower proudly sprouting from it. _"You can water the flower but not replace the chairs?"_

Phoenix prepares to leave these seemingly pointless items be and to head to the Detention Center before visiting hours end. Yet… Wright hesitates doing so, hearing a small voice telling him to look closer at the flower pot.

The lawyer steps a little closer and upon closer inspection notices something else sticking up from the soil, only showing a little bit.

He steps closer and bends down to get a better look. He notices that this item looks like a sort of handle. _"It looks familiar."_

Phoenix grabs the protruding item only with two of his fingers. Pulling it out, his eyes nearly bulge out his sockets.

" _A… pistol!"_

Phoenix glances in the hole the gun came from and finds another surprise. _"And… gloves?"_

Picking up both, his voice begins to stumble as he calls out for his assistant.

"M-M-Maya…"

The young girl turns around and nearly falls off the balcony in surprise.

"Nick! Where did you get-"

"I found this in the soil! Someone hid these here!"

The young girl rushes over to his side. "But… why? Why was this here? Who did this?"

"I dunno! Maybe the real murderer?"

"Then again… There's another possibility," Maya suggests, her tone implying she's not happy with the other prospect.

Phoenix swallows a lump in his throat as the man Maya is thinking of pops into his mind. Wright grimaces at the mugshot prominent of a despairing expression but cannot deny the thought.

"We need to ask Lector about this."

 _Pistol and Gloves added to the Court Record_

Phoenix immediately rushes back inside, Maya following suit. After everything is closed and tidied again, they quit from their client's room.

 **May 10, 2019 6:10 PM**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center II**

The pair pile out of the lift, a bit of haste in every step. To Phoenix's surprise, the Second Hotel Center seems to be nearly empty as well.

Up ahead, Phoenix notices a man walking towards their direction, sans any urgency in his walk. Thanks to their speed, they approach the man soon enough, Phoenix a lot closer to him.

Suddenly, an arm juts away from the male's side, his hand shoving Phoenix out of the way. Wright nearly bumps into Maya as he struggles to maintain his balance. Once he does, Maya cries out to the other man, anger boiling in her tone.

"Hey!"

The man stops and turns around. Phoenix finally gets the look at him, now realizing it's a boy in his twenties. The boy wears a red shirt over some blue jeans, a piece of paper hanging out his pocket appearing as if it would fall out any second. All of this topped off with gym shoes that look brand new. His curly hair messily stands atop his head as he shoots an annoyed glare at the team.

"What?"

"You nearly pushed Nick on the floor!"

"So…? Dude was in the way, alright?"

Phoenix can nearly see the steam exiting Maya's ears. "Hey! That's not nice! You need to apologize!"

The young adult's annoyed expression soon disappears as he flashes a grin at the two. Phoenix feels a bead of sweat on his head as he sees Maya's fist start to ball. _"Well…that is a kinda punchable face."_

"Whatever, I ain't apologizing."

Suddenly, the teen gets closer to Maya, a flirty expression plastered all over him. "Hey… You kinda cute. Why don't you ditch this zero and get with a real man?"

The Second Hotel Center remains silent for a moment, but then something snaps within Maya, her voice ringing in Wright's ears.

"Are. You. Hitting. On. Me?"

The boy looks up in thought, as if seriously considering her words. "Uh, yeah. I am definitely hitting on you."

Suddenly, the boy nearly falls to the ground in pain, holding his right cheek with tears in his eyes. Phoenix blinks multiple times, surprised at how fast it all happened. His only indicator of what occurred was the booming sound of a slap, echoing in the Second Hotel Center for what may be minutes.

The boy manages to partially stand up straight again, Maya's wrath not ending there.

"That was for hitting on me!"

Another slap, this time to the left cheek. The boy doesn't quite collapse to the floor but the pain still looks serious.

"That was for being rude to Nick!"

Another slap to the right cheek, the boy nearly releasing an ear-piercing shrill.

"W-what was that for?" He manages to ask through stammering and tears.

"That was for just being an impolite person in general!"

" _And this first meeting is going just great."_

"D-dude! Put a leash on your girl, geez!" The boy commands, his tone implying he's pleading for his life.

"We're not a couple…" Phoenix answers the man.

"That's not important!" Maya interrupts. "Apologize to Nick!"

"Tch!" The teen spits back. "Why should I have-"

Another slap to the already aching right cheek sends the boy to the floor. He uses this opportunity to assume a prayer position in front of Maya. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, alright? Please… just stop!"

"That's enough Maya," Phoenix decides to say to break up the confrontation. He steps beside Maya and helps the hapless man off the floor, who takes Phoenix's hand begrudgingly. Wright doesn't fail to notice the man wiping the hand he was pulled up on the side of his jeans.

"I'm Phoenix Wright and this is my assistant Maya Fey."

The defense lawyer offers his hand, waiting expectantly. To his surprise, Maya does the same as well, her face displaying a cheeriness as if nothing happened.

"Y'all were dropped or something? No way I'm shaking your hand after-"

Maya's hand assumes position as if she's preparing for another strike against his cheek. The boy immediately shields his face with his hands in a weak defense.

"I-I-I m-mean!"

He shakes both of their hands. Phoenix can see him cringe at both shakes.

"My name is Jared. Jared Kish. But, my friends call me 'Jare.' Not really sure why."

" _I am actually surprised he has friends with that attitude."_

"What are you doing at this hotel? You really don't seem like you belong here," Maya reflects.

"Oh, you mean because all these stuck-ups are wearing suits or something?" Kish scratches his head.

Wright looks at Maya's face, her devious expression to her subtly rude comment plastered all over her. _"Not what she meant… but sure."_

Jared places his hands at his hips, his snide grin returning. "Old man and gal paid for my room."

"Your father and mother?"

Jared nods his head. "Yeah, though they got me in some cruddy room. I mean, come on, I can't impress chicks with a room the size of a bunker!"

Fey's anger returns. "You should be happy that they spent money on you!"

Using every bit of his resolve, Jared doesn't laugh in her face. "S-seriously? I should be thankful for those cheap, money-grubbing, old farts?"

"The room may not have been what you expected but it's still nice they could get enough money to put you in a place like this," Phoenix continues with Maya's point.

However, Kish bursts into tearful laughter. "Now that's rich there. Which I am, by the way."

Phoenix and Maya shake their heads in surprise, the action being in unison. "What?" They both exclaim.

Jared nods his head proudly. He puffs out his chest in an egotistical and haughty manner, Phoenix unable to tell if he's doing that jokingly or not. "Yeah, the old man and gal are stacked. Why I'm so freaking pissed at that shoddy room they in."

A pout spreads across his face as he folds his arms. "What's more, is that they have the nerve to tell me I need to get a job! Need to be "productive" or learn "work ethic" or some bull like that. I mean, even if I was mooching off them, which I'm not, why are you mad? I'm just living easy and it's not like you don't have it, you get me?"

At the speed of light, Kish finds himself massaging the side of his face, now in pain from another slap from Maya. "Hey! I didn't do anything."

"You are, by far, the worst person I've come across!" Maya cries out in anger.

" _We've seen and interacted with murderers before. Are you sure that's not a bit of an exaggeration?"_ Phoenix thinks to himself, smirking at this remark. However, the slight grin disappears when he looks at Kish again. _"Though… I can see what you mean."_

"So…" Jared begins, his eyes darting to Phoenix's lapel. "You a lawyer or something? My dad's one of those crooks so I recognize the pin."

"I wouldn't describe us as crooks..." Phoenix laments.

"Ha!" Jared laughs. "That's the funniest thing I ever heard. Like hell all of you ain't crooks. And a bunch of liars too!"

"Hey!" Maya steps up, starting to roll up her sleeves. _"Maya…you're already slapping the man, isn't that enough?"_

"What? You know I'm right," Jared retaliates as he shoots a nasty glare at Phoenix. "Besides, don't think I haven't heard of ya. Even my old man says that there's no way a newbie like you would have so many cases and only one conviction. You doing some shady stuff?"

Kish steps closer to Wright, bringing his face closer to Phoenix's in a competitive manner. "What? You paying the judge under the table or something? Those 'real culprits' you got arrested. Did you promise them some deal if they embarrass themselves or threaten their family or something, ya sick crook?"

Suddenly, Wright is shoved out the way by Maya, another slap landed to Kish's face. The pain is excruciating, if the look on Kish's face is anything to go by, but continues his point nonetheless.

"And now you're trying to do the same with this case. But, guess what, I got proof the dude did it!"

"You do?" Wright raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, saw the guy do one of them in! Yeah, whole thing was awesome!"

" _A person getting killed isn't something I would describe as awesome… but I won't interrupt."_

"I mean, I was chillin' around here when it happened. Suddenly power went out and I was about to bounce. Then some dude rushes in all scared and then a minute later, the suspect-"

Jared suddenly stop, realizing the subject of his rambling. The boy begins to stumble on his next words, his mind considering all options to backpedal this conversation.

"B-but… y'know. I found out it was a dream and-"

"Too late," Maya speaks up.

"Are you one of the witnesses for the prosecution? That sounds helpful for Edgeworth's case."

Jared continues his stumbling, word garbage piling out of his mouth. Finally, his teeth grit as he stomps his foot in anger.

"Whatever, I'm out of here."

Jared begins to walk away from the team, the two attempting to stop him. However, he suddenly speeds up, nearly running to the front door.

As he does, a tiny piece of paper falls from his pocket.

As Wright sees this, he calls out for the teen to tell him of his dropped item. Yet, Jared pays no mind as he disappears out the hotel.

"Well… That was an interesting meeting," Maya concludes.

Phoenix goes to pick up the paper, Maya joining his side to inspect it with him. "What's this?"

"I dunno. It fell out of Kish's pocket."

Phoenix sees it's blank on the side facing them. Flipping it over, he sees only two things scribbled across the paper.

 _9/15; 120,000_

"What does this even mean?" Maya ponders.

"I dunno," Phoenix admits. _"What would Kish need with a date and number?"_

 _Strange Note added to the Court Record_

"We'll just give this to him later."

Stuffing the slip into his pocket, Wright looks at the time, sighing to himself in disappointment upon seeing it.

"We missed visiting hours."

"I think it's for the best. I need to get to the train station before all lines back to Kurain close. They've been shutting down a bit early lately."

Phoenix grabs the back of his head in concern. "And we barely got anything for tomorrow to help Lector. We actually just got more things that make him look suspicious!" Phoenix exclaims, remembering over the gun and gloves.

"Well… We should be fine!" Fey responds cheeringly. Phoenix grins at her optimism.

"Come on, let's go."

After Maya is dropped off at the train station, Wright returns back home. Before he finally drifts off to sleep, he sighs at the challenge he's destined to face tomorrow.

 **(AN: Hello! Thank you for taking time to read this chapter! I'm glad I could get this one out a lot sooner! I hope you enjoy. I updated the evidence list again, so give it another look! ( /a/fsZqhgc)**

 **Hm...well, not sure what else to say in this note, so let me explain all the pun names.**

 **Lloyd Lector: Supposed to sound like "Coin Collector." (I'm the best at puns.)**

 **Samuel Falcon: The first name is the same as the lead character using the same noir trope of the mystery novel "The Maltese Falcon" Samuel's surname derived from the name of the book.**

 **Howard May I Mel Yew: "How may I help you?" This is to refer to Howard's helpful personality. Also, his first and surname can sound like "How are you?" referring to his polite personality as well.**

 **Ruth and Sarah Vice: Meant to be a pun of "Room Service."**

 **Carter Fly, Bob Stir, and Dan Flynch: Will be explained at a later time.**

 **Jared "Jare" Kish: Meant to sound like "jerkish," referring to his rude personality.**

 **That's it for now, I suppose. Next chapter will be the trial! Keep an eye out for that! Thank you!)**


	5. Court is Now in Session

**(AN: Hello again! Thank you for choosing to read my story! For those who've been following it, you'll notice this chapter is out a bit faster compared to previous ones. At least...it feels that way. I hope you enjoy the direction I took the trial or specifically the testimony sections. Anywho, t** **hat's enough of me rambling. I hope you enjoy! Thank you!)**

* * *

 **March 11, 2019, 9:50 AM**

 **Los Angeles District Courthouse**

 **Defendant's Lobby No. 2**

Phoenix sits on the couch as he looks over the evidence. He observes and analyzes it time and time again, hoping for a revelation to come.

It never does.

After the tenth time, Phoenix gives up, running his hands through his hair, frustrated. _"This is it, I guess. The day of the trial…"_

Wright soon feels a glare falling on him. He looks up and he sees Lector standing over him. The attorney immediately rises up.

"Mr. Lector!"

"Wright," Lector nods. "My, haven't I told you to drop the 'Mr.'?"

Phoenix awkwardly scratches his head. "S-sorry."

Lloyd pulls a coin from his pocket; the tiny piece of metal soon being flipped by Lector's hand. "Are you nervous, Wright?"

Phoenix considers the expression on his face, instinctively knowing that it must be a hopeless one. He attempts to substitute the bleak mood on his expression with a confident one.

"Of course not! I'm positive that your innocence will be proven, Lector!" Phoenix states through a forced grin. _"Lector's already worried enough. I shouldn't add fuel to that fire."_

Lloyd tilts his head, squinting his eyes. "I see."

He lets the coin, after another flip, land flat on his palm. He shoves it back into his pocket. "If I was to be entirely honest with you, Wright… I'm extremely nervous," Lector admits, his eyes widening afterwards. "N-not because I doubt your skillset! But… Well, I hope you understand what I mean."

Wright nods his head understandingly. "I've been in your position once so I understand everything you're feeling. However, if you're innocent…"

Lloyd nods his head as if answering Phoenix's question. Wright still sees no Psyche-Locks, internally breathing a sigh of relief.

"…then your innocence will be proven. I promise you that."

Lloyd holds out his hand. "Then my fate is in your hands."

" _Thanks. Don't feel pressured by that at all!"_

Wright firmly grabs hold of his hand, both men confidently shaking. Soon, both hear the two doors bursting open. They cut their attention to the entrance of the room, seeing Maya walk in, the bailiff closing the doors afterwards.

"Nick!"

"Maya! I was worried you wouldn't come."

The young Fey breathes a sigh. "I was worried I wasn't going to make it."

"Ms. Fey," Lloyd greets, Maya returning it with a hello and a nod.

" _That reminds me… I probably should confront Lector about that."_

Wright recalls yesterday evening, the thought still grim. Pulling out gloves and a gun from the flower pot soil on the balcony outside Lector's room yesterday was an unexpected and shocking experience for the team.

" _I need to know what he was doing with that. I guess now is a good time."_

Wright clears his throat, Lector directing his attention to Phoenix.

"Lector. I think we need to talk about something."

Lloyd raises an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Well, you see, yesterday-"

"The trial will now begin!" A voice soon shouts, an annoyingly nasally tone in their voice. The pair and Lector turn to one of the bailiffs standing at the entrance to the courtroom. "All attorneys please enter the courtroom!"

Lector turns back to them. "I suppose it's time to begin."

"Uh… Yes!" Phoenix agrees. _"Shoot! I didn't get a chance."_

Wright tries to prevent any despair from attempting to seep onto his face. _"Let's hope that doesn't screw me over."_

One of the bailiffs open the courtroom doors. The courtroom now seen behind them is a daunting sight to Phoenix. However, he tries to swallow these worries down as the defense team and defendant walk into the courtroom, mentally preparing for whatever may come their way.

 **March 11, 2019 10:00 AM**

 **Los Angeles District Courthouse**

 **Courtroom No. 2**

As per usual, the gallery of the court is of blaring volume, each participant engaging in a conversation. Phoenix notes his surroundings as the judge strides his way up towards his bench. He can't help but feel a certain nostalgia seeing himself and Maya behind the defense bench again as Edgeworth stands behind his.

Wright looks over to where Lector is sitting, the latter stoic-faced. Despite that, Phoenix can still feel the fear pouring out of him.

Finally, the judge takes his seat, a slam of his gavel silencing everyone.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Lloyd Lector," he declares. "I trust both sides are ready?"

"The prosecution is ready, Your Honor."

"The defense is also ready, Your Honor."

The judge nods his head, understanding. "Very well. I must say, it's been some time since I've seen the both of you in the same courtroom."

His Honor turns to Phoenix. "Especially you, Mr. Wright. May I inquire about the reason for your short absence?"

Phoenix rests his hand on the back of his head, abashed. "Oh, you know… Busy?"

"Ah, yes, of course."

The judge shakes his head. "However, we are not here to chat. Prosecutor Edgeworth, please give your opening statement."

Miles gives a bow. In the midst of it, he reaches into his open briefcase on the floor and pulls out several papers. "Very well, Your Honor," he declares, soon straightening back up.

Clearing his throat, he begins.

"The crime happened two days ago, on the night of May 9th. At around ten o'clock, the local precinct received a call about a murder occurring. Officers rush down to the scene and find the claim to be correct."

From the stack of papers he's holding, he pulls out one and shows it to the court. On the paper is a photo of each of the victims. "Gentlemen Bob Stir, Carter Fly, and Dan Flynch were found dead within the premises."

Next Edgeworth pulls from the grasped papers the crime scene photos. He then decides to set the rest of the stack down, allowing easier opportunity to show the photos to the court. "The autopsies state the following:"

He pulls out the first picture of the crime scene and holds it up for the court. "Bob Stir, the first victim, was stabbed in the head and died a short while after. He was found in the doorway of the hotel room belonging to the second victim."

Miles sets that photo down, presenting the second afterwards. "The second victim, Carter Fly, was shot near the kidney and died instantly. He too was found in his room, near a dresser."

After the photo of Fly joins the desk, Edgeworth continues with the last photo still in his hands. "And the last victim, Dan Flynch, was found in another place entirely: Under a pavilion on the lobby floor. His autopsy states that he was bludgeoned to death."

"I see. However, why was the third victim found in an entirely different place?"

"The police theorize that Mr. Flynch was on the fourth floor at the time. However, after seeing the crime scene and the murderer still there, attempted to flee, making it as far as the Second Hotel Center. However, the killer was still able to catch and kill him as they planned."

With that, soon all three photos lay on the bench. "I should note that all the victims were covered in bruises and scratches, suggesting that they had a struggle with the murderer."

"The court shall accept these into evidence," the judge states with an understanding nod.

"The prosecution would also like to submit the weapons used to kill each victim."

After bending down to collect some object from his case, Edgeworth stands back up to reveal the weapons, all sealed in their own plastic bag.

Phoenix squints his eyes, unable to clearly see them from where he's standing. However, he can tell from where he is that one object was a pistol, the other a gold colored knife, blood soaking the end of the blade. The last object he could make out is a vertically long and bulky and opaque glass item, reminding Phoenix of the small statues from the hotel shop.

The statue depicts a butterfly resting atop of Greek-style pillar. However, the base of the artwork is cracked on one side, a bloodstain staining the area.

"This is what the police believe are the three weapons used to murder each of the victims. Careful examination determined the bullet found inside Mr. Fly matches the markings of this gun. And the blood found on this knife and statuette matches the blood of Mr. Stir and Flynch."

"And, tell me, Mr. Edgeworth," the judge begins. "Are the defendant's fingerprints on those weapons?"

"Yes, Your Honor."

The gallery soon breaks into small whispers. "Order!" The judge commands after a tap from his gavel.

"However, Your Honor, I suppose that was a bit of a lie."

"A lie? I'm not sure I follow."

"In other words, I should mention a couple things. While the defendant's fingerprints are indeed on the gun and knife, they are not on the glass statuette."

His Honor's eyes widen. "They're not?"

"Additionally, I uncovered a strange truth regarding the knife found in Stir's head."

Edgeworth turns to Wright, Phoenix feeling a question coming his way. He's proven right.

"Wright, I know you have a copy of the crime scene photos. Please tell me something irregular you find with the first photo."

" _And you can't do that yourself… why?"_

Nonetheless, Phoenix reaches into his bag and pulls the relevant photo to inspect it. He begins to stare closely at the photo, looking for any inconsistencies. Maya joins him at his side, inspecting the image as well.

" _Wait! What's this?"_

Phoenix squints his eyes, trying to get a closer look at the wound on Stir's head. After looking close enough…

"The wound on the victim's head…" Phoenix speaks up. "The size of it doesn't match the knife!"

Miles taps his pointer finger against his temple. "Verily, Mr. Wright. The size of the knife does not match the wound in the victim's head. Thus, the prosecution concludes, that this is not the real knife that killed Stir."

The courtroom breaks into a small frenzy. The judge silences them with three taps against the sound block but is noticeably shocked by Edgeworth's claims. "M-Mr. Edgeworth! You are trying to prove the defendant guilty, no? Why are you saying things that would help the defense?"

The red-clad prosecutor wags his finger in response. "I am doing nothing of the sort. I am just clearing up certain details, Your Honor."

Edgeworth puts the pictures back into his briefcase. "Nonetheless, the prosecution has had a group of officers to search the entirety of the hotel in search for the real knife. While results have been unsuccessful thus far, the prosecution is confident that the real knife will be covered in the defendant's prints whenever it is found."

" _That's some confidence!"_

"I see. The court shall accept this as evidence."

 _Murder Weapons added to the Court Record_

"Now, other than their fingerprints, is there any other reason you suspect the defendant for committing this crime?"

"In addition to his fingerprints, these weapons were found in his hotel room. You see, the police started to search the hotel rooms after discovering the bodies. Considering the defendant's room is on the same level as the victim's, it didn't take long for them to find these."

Once again, his pointer finger lightly strikes against his temple. "Furthermore, there are eyewitnesses seeing Lector leave the crime scene at around the time of the murders."

"I must say! That is pretty incriminating," the judge comment, clearing his throat afterward. "Is there anything more you wish to add, Prosecutor?"

Edgeworth bends down once more to gather something from his case. When he comes back up, several papers are clasped in his hands.

"The prosecution will like to submit to the Court Record this blackout report and the floor plans to the hotel."

"I see. And for what reason do you wish to do that?"

"On the night of the crime, the hotel experienced a blackout after a lightning strike and didn't regain power until early the next morning." Edgeworth takes out a paper from his stack to show it to the court. "This report shall reflect that. I have printed out copies for the court, as well."

"I see," the judge bows his head. "Bailiff! Could you please give the copies to myself and the defense?"

One of the bailiffs posted near the doors gives a salute, heading towards Edgeworth's bench soon after. It isn't long after the man obtains the copies that Phoenix and His Honor receive them.

"Hey look," Maya whispers. "Edgeworth gave us a copy of the floor plans as well!"

Wright nods in understanding, beginning to take a look at the blackout report first. The spirit medium leans closer to the attorney, taking a look as well.

 _Watson Electric_ _TM_ _Report – 3/9/19_

 _Incident: Power outage at 10:15 PM._

 _Cause of Incident: Electrical Current (currently unknown)_

 _Incident Fixed: 9:42 AM – 3/10/19_

 _Notable Details: Age of the generator in question – approximately 5 years or more._

 _Summary: After an examination of the problem, we have concluded that a strong electrical current came in contact with the generator and backup generator causing damage to the outer display of the machines, additionally causing a small blast that cut power to the building until fixed the next morning. We are to assume that the electrical current came from lightning as a heavy thunderstorm was present that night._

"Anything that sticks out to you, Maya?"

The young girl shakes her head. "No, not really."

"As for the floor plans," Edgeworth continues. "The prosecution believes it will be for a good future reference."

His Honor bows his head. "Very well, I shall accept these into evidence."

 _Blackout Report added to the Court Record_

 _Hotel's Floor Plans added to the Court Record_

"Thank you for your statement, Mr. Edgeworth."

The judge turns to face Phoenix, the latter suddenly maintaining a stiff eye contact with. "Is there anything you wish to say regarding the claims against your client, Mr. Wright? Perhaps your plea?"

Wright simply nods his head. "The defense will assert throughout this entire trial that my client is innocent," Phoenix finishes, some sweat forming on his brow. " _Now how I'm going to prove that is an entirely different story."_

The judge nods his head in response."Very well then. Prosecutor Edgeworth, you may call your first witness."

The prosecutor outstretches his arm as if making a grand declaration. "The prosecution calls to the stand the head detective of this case: Samuel Falcon."

* * *

The detective walks up to the stand. As soon as he does, he folds his arms and taps his foot impatiently. Edgeworth clears his throat.

"Your name and occupation, please."

Samuel's eyebrows uneven, as if confused by Miles' request. "Uh… Why?"

"Why?" Edgeworth responds, early signs of irritation already seeping into his voice. "What do you mean why?"

"I mean, I understand 'why,'" the detective clarifies, holding up his hand in defense. "I just… don't understand 'why.' I mean, after all, you did just say both my name and job before I walked up here."

Edgeworth pinches the bridge of his nose. "Detective… if you please."

The investigator straightens his hat, the action unneeded. "I mean, I will. I'm just saying that it seems a bit repetitive for me to do that when you basically already said it."

Edgeworth slams his hand against his bench, the booming sound commanding further attention of everyone in the courtroom. "Detective! I have brought you here today to give testimony, not your opinion of court procedure!"

Falcon shoots a disappointed glare at the prosecutor before sighing to himself. "Samuel Falcon."

"And your occupation?"

"Homicide."

It's Edgeworth's turn to sigh, folding his arms in the process. "Detective, can you please give testimony regarding details on the night of the murder?"

Samuel nods. "Certainly."

* * *

 **Witness Testimony**

-Details of the Case-

Samuel clears his throat as he begins. "The crime happened two days ago at around ten o'clock."

"About this time, the local precinct received a call about a murder, the caller not sharing their name at the time."

Falcon grabs the edge of his fedora. "When the police arrived, they found the state of the hotel as seen in the crime scene photos."

The detective lowers his head and his hat, his face concealed from the court. "Carter dead in his room, Stir knifed at the room's doorway, and Flynch's body under a pavilion in the Second Hotel Center."

His head raises back up as he pointlessly twists his hat to straighten it. "I was there at the time and had myself and other officers search the hotel rooms, starting with the floor the bodies were found on."

"Meaning, Lector's room was one of the first we searched. In there, we found what we believed to be two of the murder weapons."

Falcon folds his arms, his eyes shutting upon doing so. "Naturally, we take Lector into custody. As Edgeworth has stated previously, his fingerprints were found on all but one of the weapons."

He then snaps his fingers, as if suddenly remembering something. "Also, the blood found on them matched the respective victims."

"And, to further add onto the evidence pile, several people saw Lector enter the victim's room at around the time of deaths."

"And there you have it. That's the police's reasoning behind Lector's arrest," he concludes with a smirk.

* * *

The judge, his eyes shut, takes in all that Falcon said. "I must say, that's quite descriptive."

"Hey, Nick," Maya whispers to Phoenix. "Do you notice anything off about Sam's testimony?"

Wright shakes his head. "No, nothing really."

"Mr. Wright?" The judge addresses. "Would you like to carry out a cross-examination?"

Phoenix rubs his chin, immersing himself in thought. "Yes, the defense would like to," he eventually answers.

"Very well, then. You may begin."

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

-Details of the Case-

Samuel clears his throat as he begins. "The crime happened two days ago at around the ten o'clock hour."

"About this time, the local precinct received a call about a murder, the caller not sharing their name at the time."

 **Hold it!**

Wright massages his chin, considering his question. "The caller didn't share their name?"

Samuel nods. "That's right. At the time, the operator tried to get his name but the caller insisted that was unnecessary considering what just occurred. I guess he wanted to get us down quickly as we could."

Phoenix leans forward, his hands bracing himself. "And did you ever find out who the caller was?"

Falcon reaches into the depths of his coat and pulls out his pad and pen. After flipping through it a short bit, his face reflects that he found his desired page. "Indeed, we did. The caller was none other than a Howard Yew."

" _So, the caller was Howard, huh?"_ Phoenix reflects. Falcon stares at the lawyer expectantly as Phoenix considers his next response. "Very well then, please continue."

"…Ok, then."

* * *

Falcon grabs the edge of his fedora. "When the police arrived, they found the state of the hotel as seen in the crime scene photos."

The detective lowers his head and his hat, his face concealed from the court. "Carter dead in his room, Stir knifed at the room's doorway, and Flynch's body under a pavilion in the Second Hotel Center."

His head raises back up as he pointlessly twists his hat to straighten it. "I was there at the time and had myself and other officers to search the hotel rooms, starting with the floor the bodies were found on."

"Meaning, Lector's room was one of the first we searched. In there, we found what we believed to be two of the murder weapons."

 **Hold it!**

"Only two?"

The detective lightly holds the brim of his fedora. "Well, yeah. Only the statuette and the gun were found in his drawer. The knife, meanwhile, was sticking out of a man's head."

Phoenix thinks on his words, considering any possible contradiction. However, when his thinking comes up with no leads…

"Very well. You may continue, Detective."

* * *

Falcon folds his arms, his eyes shutting upon doing so. "Naturally, we take Lector into custody. As Edgeworth has stated previously, his fingerprints were found on all but one of the weapons."

He then snaps his fingers, as if suddenly remembering something. "Also, the blood found on them matched the respective victims."

 **Hold it!**

Phoenix leans forward, Samuel feeling the need to lean backward as a response. "Now, are you sure about that, Detective?"

"Well, that's what the report said. You probably need to be asking that question to the person who typed it up, y'know?"

Wright's hands slam against the desk. "However, I'm asking you, Detective! What do you think about the blood found on two of the murder weapons?"

Falcon shakes his head in disappointment. "Yes, I believe the blood found on the knife and statue belong to Stir and Flynch."

"Is this line of questioning going anywhere, Wright?" Edgeworth inquires from across the room. "Or is this yet another one of your usual attempts at a bluff?"

Phoenix's eyes widen in shock, immediately bringing his hand to the back of his neck to scratch it. "No, of course not!"

"Gotta say, Nick, this is really one of your least impressive bluffs," Maya jabs at Phoenix, the comment so silent that only the attorney hears it.

" _Well, there's not much to go off here, so what do you expect me to do?"_

Phoenix's pointer finger rubs against his chin, thinking to himself. _"This isn't getting me anywhere. Maybe I should just quit this while I'm ahead."_

Wright turns towards the judge. "The defense is done with their cross-examination, Your Honor."

"Y-you're done! You mean… you wish to press no more?"

The lawyer tilts his head in confusion. "Yes?"

His Honor shakes his head. "I must say, I'm surprised! It's just that you usually keep going until one of us says stop."

"W-what!" Phoenix exclaims, assuming a slightly defensive stance.

"He has a point, Nick," Maya cheerily inserts.

" _Maya… you too?"_

"Well, if the defense has no further questions, then I shall end the cross-examination of Samuel Falcon."

Samuel grabs the brim of his hat and tips it, his head bowing along with it. "Then, if any of you need me, I shall be in the gallery."

And with that, the detective walks away from the stand, heading out the courtroom doors.

"Are there any other witnesses you wish to call, Prosecutor?"

Miles nods his head. "Indeed, Your Honor. The prosecution would like to call up an eyewitness, who witnessed Lector exit the victim's room around the time of the crime."

* * *

The courtroom doors close and walking towards the stand is two people: a younger woman and a child, both clad in suits. The Vices assume their position at the stand, wearing a bright smile across both of their faces. However, Phoenix, that Ruth's smile seems forced and nervous. _"I wonder what's wrong."_

"May the witnesses state their name and occupation?"

"My name is Ruth Vice and I'm a receptionist at the hotel where the crime occurred," Ruth speaks first.

"And my name is Sarah Vice," Sarah speaks next. She looks up inquisitively after doing so. "I would say that my occupation is a clerk at the hotel but I don't think that really counts so I will say I'm a student!"

Suddenly, to the court's surprise, Edgeworth gives a loud and annoyed sigh. "Please, Ms. Vice," he closes his eyes and massages his temple. "Could you please just give your name and-"

Edgeworth's complaint dies out as the prosecutor looks up in bewilderment, recalling the last few seconds. He shakes his head, still unsure of himself. "I'm sorry… What did you say?"

Ruth's expression displays prevalent confusion. "We just stated our names and occupation. Is there something wrong?"

Miles looks around, Edgeworth's bafflement starting to perplex the entire court. "H-how many minutes have gone by?"

"One thus far…" The judge answers.

Edgeworth takes another glance around the court before shaking his head. "N-never mind. Ms. Ruth and Sarah Vice… I understand the both of you witnessed the defendant exiting the victim's room the night of the crime?"

The older Vice rests her head against her palm. "Oh, I'm glad to say my daughter didn't see much, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Is that so?" The judge scratches his head. "Then what is the young girl doing on the stand?"

"Oh, please don't mind me, Your Honor!" Sarah speaks up, flashing a bright smile at the judge. "I just wanted to see what it's like being a witness in a trial, sir!"

"I see… But, I must say, this is not a playing matter. Why have you allowed this, Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

Miles conceals his face behind his hand. "Ms. Vice would've chosen not to testify if I did not obey her daughter's request."

"I-I see. Ah, but I cannot blame her. My grandchild once wished to see what it is like to be behind this bench. I was a bit skeptical but… I couldn't just say no. It was quite pleasant to have her accompany me in that trial."

Edgeworth clears his throat, unneededly exaggerated "Nonetheless! May the Vices please give their testimony?"

"One testimony coming up, sir!" They both say in unison.

* * *

 **Witness Testimony**

\- The Vices' Testimony -

Ruth closes her eyes with a recollective sigh, twirling some of her hair in the process. "It was sometime at 10:00 PM. I know because I was about to get off my shift."

Suddenly, Sarah interjects, a twinge of fear in her voice as she too remembers the incident. "That's when suddenly… the power went out!"

"I was kinda wondering what happened," Ruth continues. "So I went to look for my manager, thinking he could help."

Ruth looks up, tapping her pointer finger against her chin. "I remember first going into the Second Hotel Center. There, I noticed something strange."

"I noticed a hotel room open. I knew it was open because some light was coming out of it."

Ruth closes her eyes as she painfully recalls the event, her daughter looking up at her in concern. "Curious, I took the stairs to that room and… came across the bodies."

Suddenly, the older Vice shoots an accusatory glare at Lector, her daughter mirroring the action. "I remember, while coming up at the fourth floor, I saw the defendant rush out of the room."

"My mom came back downstairs sometime later," the younger Vice continues for Ruth. "She had her Mr. Howard make the call to the police for her."

Ruth nods her head. "She's right… I was too shocked to do it."

* * *

The judge shakes his head. "I must say… that must've been a terrifying experience for the both of you."

"It was, Your Honor!" Ruth declares. She shakes her head as well. "In all my time working at the hotel, I never expected something like that to happen."

"Well then, Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination, if you wish."

Wright closes his eyes in thought. _"There's definitely something off about Ms. Vice's testimony. I need to look at my evidence and see what it is…"_

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

\- The Vices' Testimony -

Ruth closes her eyes with a recollective sigh, twirling some of her hair in the process. "It was sometime at 10:00 PM. I know because I was about to get off my shift."

Suddenly, Sarah interjects, a twinge of fear in her voice as she too remembers the incident. "That's when suddenly… the power went out!"

"I was kinda wondering what happened," Ruth continues. "So I went to look for my manager, thinking he could help." Y

Ruth looks up, tapping her pointer finger against her chin. "I remember first going into the Second Hotel Center. There, I noticed something strange."

"There… I noticed a hotel room open. I knew it was open because some light was coming out of it."

 **Objection!**

Wright grins at the start of his next point. "So, to confirm, you're saying that an open hotel room caught your attention because of the light?"

There's a pause of uncertainty before Ruth answers with a nod.

"I see. But is that even possible?"

Ruth raises an eyebrow. "Huh… what do you even mean?"

"Why, because of the blackout, of course!"

Both of the Vices' happy expressions disappear, a surprised and frightened one replacing them. "A-A blackout?" Ruth stumbles.

Wright bows his head to answer her question. "Exactly! Edgeworth earlier had stated that a power outage overtook the hotel on the day of the crime!"

Phoenix, confidence exuding from his attitude, puts his hands at his hips. "Why, your daughter even said so at the beginning of your testimony!"

Sarah soon blushes in embarrassment and surprise while Ruth forces a grin, brimmed with nervousness.

"Because of all of this, there's another thing that should be impossible, Ms. Vice," Phoenix continues, rubbing his chin. "You said you saw the defendant rush out of the victim's room, right?"

The older Vice remains silent but a head nod answers the attorney's question.

"No doubt that the building was pitch black because of the outage. So, I'm asking you, how could you claim that you saw the defendant exit the room if any normal person…"

Phoenix slams his hands against the bench, animating his point. "…could barely see a thing?"

The court breaks into a frenzy as Ruth takes a step back in response, starting to stammer as her mind tries to focus. Several strikes from the gavel calm the chaos.

"Ms. Vice!" Edgeworth calls out to the two witnesses.

The family turns towards Edgeworth, feeling more frightened at his piercing stare. "Y-yes?" They both answer collectively.

Miles leans forward, bracing himself on the bench. "May I inquire as to why you have changed your testimony?"

Phoenix swears that he starts to see the color drain from the older Vice's face. "Ch-changed?"

"When I was preparing you for testimony yesterday," Edgeworth continues, his arms folded. "The both of us mentioned nothing about a light catching your eye from ground level."

He bashes the counter of the bench with his open palm. "Why are you saying such things now, I ask!"

Ruth opens her mouth but nothing but unintelligible stuttering comes out. Her daughter frowns at this, clenching her fists determinedly.

"Well? What could've caught her attention then?"

Phoenix raises a brow. "Huh?"

"You said Mommy couldn't have been drawn to the fourth floor because of a light but what could've?"

Ruth looks down at Sarah, shocked at her sudden rebuttal.

"Even if there was a power outage, that doesn't mean some other kind of light couldn't have drawn her there!"

"U-uh… She's right!" Ruth decides to speak up, her tone of voice obviously reflecting that she just started to support this argument.

"That is a good question, Nick," Maya folds her arms. "What could've drawn Ruth to the fourth floor?"

Phoenix then follows Maya's look, his mind mulling over the answer. _"Something that could've drawn Ruth to the fourth floor… I wonder, could it be…?"_

Suddenly, Phoenix's expression bears a grin. Maya looks over at him and is surprised at first but suddenly smiles as well.

"Ms. Ruth! There was nothing that originally drew you to the fourth floor. Why?" Wright outstretches his arm, his finger pointing in her direction.

"Because you were already on the fourth floor!"

"H-huh?" Ruth shouts, confused.

Phoenix begins answering her rhetorical question with a nod. "Exactly. I find it not a stretch that around that time, instead of being on the ground floor, you were already on the fourth floor! That's how you came across the bodies!"

 **Objection!**

"Wright, I am sure you know this extremely well at this point!" Edgeworth points at Phoenix. "But you cannot make such outlandish claims and expect us all to readily believe it so!"

"So, I suppose you're asking for proof?"

The prosecutor folds his arms. "No, actually, I am requesting a cup of tea."

" _Well, I don't have that, but I do have some proof,"_ Phoenix internally remarks. _"Yet… what evidence do I have to prove… Wait!"_

A slam from the defense bench gathers everyone's attention.

"Ms. Vice. I'm afraid I don't necessarily have conclusive proof that you were on the fourth floor specifically."

"I see," she sighs relievedly, resting a hand on her chest. "You know, observing previous trials of yours, you always seemed persistent on a point. Glad to know there are times you admit you're wrong."

The lawyer flashes a smile. "However, I can prove you were anywhere but the Second Hotel Center."

A bead of sweat forms on the Vice's head. "And… never mind."

"You can prove she wasn't in the Second Hotel Center?" The judge inquires. "But… how?"

"Because of the third victim, Your Honor!"

Shock spreads on the witnesses' and the opposing attorney's face. "F-Flynch, you mean?" Miles asks.

"Exactly! You said it yourself, Mr. Edgeworth!" Wright starts, then rubbing his chin in thought. "The third victim attempted to escape from their killer, yet they caught up to him nonetheless and sealed his fate."

Phoenix directs an accusatory finger at Edgeworth. "That is what you said the police theorized!"

Edgeworth's teeth and fist clench, the latter deciding to rest on the bench. "C-correct…"

"Now then… Ms. Vice!"

"Y-yes?"

"You're insinuating that you were in the Second Hotel Center, right? Then, that means you saw the third victim rush into the area before being killed by their pursuer, right?"

The older Vice resorts back to her incomprehensible stuttering before her daughter decides to answer for her. "Y-yes! Mommy did see something so horrible!"

This is enough to snap Ruth out of it. "S-Sarah! D-don't!"

Sarah looks down in shame. "S-sorry."

"Ms. Vice. If you did see the third victim get killed in the Second Hotel Center, then I'd say that'd be an interesting testimony," Phoenix punctuates by smugly putting his hands to his hips. "Would you mind giving testimony on that part of the incident?"

Ruth, finally conceding, lowers her head with a sigh. "Fine. I'll tell the truth."

"Y-you haven't already?" The judge cries in disbelief.

"Yeah… I apologize, Your Honor. And to you as well, Mr. Edgeworth."

Edgeworth grunts, not entirely audible to anyone else. "I am still curious as to why you chose to change your testimony."

Ruth begins to tap her foot, averting her eyes from the prosecutor's gaze. Her daughter mirrors her actions. "W-well! I'm gonna give some new testimony. And this one, I swear, will tell the truth."

The judge scratches his head, the ceiling reflecting on its surface. "While I am dismayed that you have committed perjury whilst on the stand, I shall let it past as long as this new testimony is truthful."

" _I present to you, ladies and gentlemen, the laxest judge in the entire legal system."_

"You may begin whenever you're ready."

Both of the Vices nod their heads. "Very well," they announce in union.

* * *

 **Witness Testimony**

\- The Truth -

Ruth sighs before beginning. "Mr. Wright… I'll confirm your argument. I was on the fourth floor before the blackout."

She looks up in thought. "The reason why I was there on the fourth floor is because my manager told me to meet him there."

"Then, while looking for him, I came across the bodies."

"And that's it," she starts to conclude. "That's the only thing I lied about. I promise everything else happened the same."

* * *

The judge blinks a few times. "That was quite a short testimony."

"I apologize, Your Honor," Ruth says, putting her hand to her cheek. "I just didn't see the need to repeat details from my previous testimony."

His Honor closes his eyes in thought. "I see. Mr. Wright, you may begin when you're ready."

" _A short testimony is a bit inconvenient. There's not much I can press on. But…I'll see what I can do."_

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

\- The Truth -

Ruth sighs before beginning. "Mr. Wright…I'll confirm your argument. I was on the fourth floor before the blackout."

She looks up in thought. "The reason why I was there on the fourth floor is because my manager told me to meet him there."

 **Hold It!**

Phoenix massages his chin in thought. "Your boss? Who is that, may I ask?"

"Oh, yes! Of course!" Ruth exclaims, grabbing some strands of hand to twirl. "That would be Howard Yew. Have you met him?"

"Howard Yew?" The judge widens his eyes. "Isn't that the man Detective Falcon earlier said made the call to the police?"

"Yes indeed, Your Honor!" Sarah speaks up before Ruth can.

"But you said Mr. Yew called you up to the fourth floor?" Phoenix resumes. "My first question is: What was he doing on the fourth floor in the first place?"

"Well, my manager has a bit of strange routine, you see. For some reason, he likes to go to the hotel rooms and knock on certain doors to see if anyone needs service."

"That must be troublesome for him!" The judge cries.

"Would you mind adding that to your testimony, Ms. Vice?" Maya suddenly speaks up. Phoenix looks at her in surprise, the female witness doing the same.

"Uh, well, no… I wouldn't."

"Maya!" Phoenix whispers back at her, a bit annoyed at her action. "What are you doing?"

Her pointer finger starts to tap the side of her face. "I dunno. I thought it would be important."

" _Well, let's hope it is."_

* * *

"My manager, Howard Yew, has a strange routine where he knocks on hotel room doors to see if anybody needs service. That must be why he was on the fourth floor that night."

 **Objection!**

Phoenix slams his hand on his bench, grinning whilst doing so. _"Huh, seems that was important after all. Thanks, Maya."_

"Uh…yes, Mr. Wright?"

"Ms. Vice! You're stating that Mr. Yew must've been on the fourth floor because of his routine."

Ruth takes a hard look at the ceiling, considering her next answer. "Y-yes! That is what I'm saying."

Once more, Phoenix assumes a confident and cocky position. "Sorry, Ms. Vice, but I'm afraid you have that all wrong!"

"E-Eh? Wrong… what do you mean?"

Phoenix pulls out of his pocket a folded paper. When unfolded, he holds it up to present it to the court. "Yesterday, I had a talk with Mr. Yew himself, gracious enough to discuss details of the case with me. He had also mentioned this particular routine of his."

"And what's the problem, Wright?" Edgeworth speaks up.

"Ms. Vice is stating that the reason for his presence on the fourth floor is because of his routine. Yet, he told me himself, that his routine involves going to every hotel floor… not just one!"

The Vice family take a step back, slightly taken by surprise. "O-oh, I see."

"Unless, Ms. Vice, you're saying that Howard must've been on the fourth floor at around that time of his long routine? That's too convenient if you ask me."

The older Vice grins, beginning to nod her head. "Okay… okay… good point. So, consider this, Mr. Wright! He went to the fourth floor because he heard the gunshot!"

"G-gunshot?"

Ruth folds her arms. "I mean, yeah! After all, the gun has no silencer on it, right?"

Surprise sweeps over Wright's face. From across the room, he notices Edgeworth has the same expression. _"Him too, huh? How did we both miss that?"_

"Witness… if I may," the maroon-clad prosecutor speaks up. "Why were you looking for Mr. Yew in the first place?"

"Isn't it obvious, Mr. Edgeworth?" The young Vice interjects, answering in her mother's stead. "Mommy heard a gunshot! She obviously went looking for him to see if he was alright!"

Ruth smiles at her daughter's words. "Y-yeah! She's right."

 **Objection!**

The entire courtroom turns their attention to Mr. Wright, assuming the smug grin once more. "Sarah. Thank you for that tidbit of info."

"Oh no… this can't be good," Sarah mutters.

"Ms. Vice!" Phoenix points at her. "You had originally stated that you were already on the fourth floor before the blackout happened!"

Phoenix lays a hand on the desk, drumming his fingers, leaving his other hand to rub his chin in thought. "Yet, now you claim that you were on the fourth floor looking for Yew after hearing the gunshot. That's impossible!"

"How so, Mr. Wright?" The judge asks from his bench.

"It's not possible, Your Honor, because there should've been no gunshot before the blackout! After all, the blackout is when the murder started to occur! Meaning, the appropriate time when a gunshot would be heard."

Ruth's head starts to wet with sweat. "B-but, Mr. Wright! You said earlier that I was on the fourth floor before the blackout! Isn't that impossible with what you're saying now?"

"She has a point, Nick."

Phoenix echoes a "Hm" before speaking up again. "Then the defense will take back its earlier claim that the witness was on the fourth floor before the blackout."

"B-but! What about me not seeing Mr. Flynch in the second hotel center? That's still a problem, right?" Ruth attempts to argue.

Phoenix bows his head. "That's right. The defense will also take back that claim. It's not impossible for you to use another way to make it to the fourth floor. I doubt the hotel only has one flight of stairs leading to the room floors!"

 **Objection!**

"Wright!" Edgeworth calls out. "You spent so much time trying to prove your original claim that I'm not letting you slip out of it that easily."

Edgeworth slams his hand against his bench. "You presented evidence before with your original claim… now present evidence with this!"

" _Evidence… evidence… What could prove Ruth was there after the blackout?"_ Phoenix ponders, a regretful expression and a bead of sweat appearing on his face. _"And after I spent that time proving otherwise!"_

Every eye in the courtroom bares into Phoenix, staring in anticipation. "Well, Mr. Wright?" The judge breaks the silence. "Can you prove this claim true?"

" _Let's see... Last time I proved that Ruth couldn't be there after because of the victims."_

A lightbulb goes off in the attorney's head.

" _Maybe I could use the same subject to prove otherwise!"_

 **Take That!**

Phoenix pulls out from his bag the first crime scene photo. "The defense will like to present… this!"

He shows it off to the court, not making sense of his evidence.

"That's a photo of the first victim, yes?" The judge queries. "What does that prove exactly?"

"Ms. Vice! If your claim about being on the fourth floor before the blackout because of hearing a gunshot is true, then that must mean the murders happened at this point."

Phoenix puts his hand at his hips. "Now tell me… with that fact in mind, combined with the fact that Stir was the person killed before the gunshot, what does this contradict?" Phoenix punctuates the sentence by holding up the photo more.

Ruth attempts to swallow the lump in her throat when she notices Phoenix's point.

"That's right! In one of your testimonies, you should've mentioned how you saw a dead man sprawled out on the floor of an open doorway. Yet, you mentioned that not even once!"

Ruth starts to tap her foot nervously, the sweat across her head more apparent. Sarah looks up at her worryingly, before changing that expression to a determined one.

"Meaning, Ms. Vice, if you were on that floor before the blackout looking for Howard, you should've seen Stir's dead body! Aren't I right?"

Ruth opens her mouth, prepared to say something. But, yet again, out comes stuttering and word garbage, sprinkled with incomprehensible phrases.

 **Objection!**

Everyone's eyes widen at the sudden objection, immediately not knowing who it belonged to. However, they soon are met with an answer when the objector begins speaking again.


	6. Sarah Defends Her Mother

**(AN: Hello, fellow readers! For those new to the story: Welcome! I hope you're enjoying so far. For those who have followed this for a while: Thank you for returning again and apologies for the late arrival of this chapter. Life got in the way a little bit, so I hope you understand.** **A quick announcement I've been meaning to make for a while. I made a TV Tropes page for this story! I posted a link on my profile so come check it out when you have the chance! (I haven't updated it in a while, to be honest, so I promise to do that soon.)** **Thank you for reading!**

* * *

Ruth opens her mouth, prepared to say something. But, yet again, out comes stuttering and word garbage, sprinkled with incomprehensible phrases.

 **Objection!**

Everyone's eyes widen at the sudden objecting, not immediately knowing who it belonged to. However, they soon are met with an answer when the objector begins speaking again.

"S-Sarah?" Phoenix breaks the silence.

The young girl, face painted with determination, clenches her fists. "Stop it! Please!"

"Stop what exactly?" The judge speaks next.

The young Ruth closes her eyes, obviously holding back a tear or two. "Stop bullying her! You don't understand, alright?"

"Ms. Vice," Edgeworth sighs. "You must understand. We are not 'bullying' your mother."

The prosecutor shoots a death glare to the mother. Ruth catches a glimpse of it and tries to avoid eye contact with the gaze.

"We are, however, irritated at the inconsistencies of your mother's testimony. Especially, when the first testimony she gave was different than the one I prepared her for!"

"Q-quiet!" Sarah shouts in retaliation, the prosecutor taking a step back in shock. "Call it whatever you want, you all are still pushing her around. You just don't understand!"

"S-Sarah! Calm down, please!" Ruth finally speaks up. In an attempt to soothe her, she strokes her daughter's hair, the latter looking down sadly.

"But… what is it we don't understand?" Phoenix begins again.

Sarah remains silent, her face displayed only to the floor.

"Are you saying we don't understand the reason for Ruth's odd testimonies?" Fey asks in Phoenix's stead.

The young girl, still silent, nods her head as her mother makes no reaction.

Phoenix eyes close as he rubs his chin in thought. Eventually, his eyes slowly open back up as his mind arrives at an answer.

"Sarah. Are you saying there's a reason for Ms. Vice's behavior today?"

Ruth stops stroking her daughter's hair, the beads of sweat appearing back on her head. Sarah, head still down, remains silent for a beat or two before breathing out a short sigh. Following it is a slight head nod. However, suspecting that few saw her visual answer, she speaks up.

"Yes…"

Ruth looks down in shock, dismayed at the response. "Sarah…"

"Well?" His Honor questions. "If there is a reason, the court sees no reason for you to hide it."

"Your Honor, she's… uh… just a young girl!" Ruth tries to argue, panic over spilling in her tone. "Obviously, she must be misremembering-"

Sarah finally darts her head up from the ground. However, instead of the expression expected, she wears a face of angered irritation ignited from the last sentence. Ruth notices this and grimaces. "That was the wrong thing to say, was it?" She mutters.

"Mommy's testimony is all weird because the bad man threatened her and Howard! That man…"

She points an accusatory finger at the defendant's chair, its occupant's eyes widening in shock.

"…being the defendant!"

"W-wha?"

"Wait… what?"

"W-what?"

"Wait…" Phoenix begins to stammer. "WHAAAAAT?"

The court soon breaks into near uncontrollable chaos. As the ruckus soon begins, His Honor gives a tap of his gavel to calm the raging storm. However, the taps against the sound block, along with the judge's commands for order, fall on deaf ears. Only when the gavel strikes a fifth time does the crowd silence.

"Order! Order, or I shall suspend the proceedings," he commands once more, punctuating it with another strike of his gavel.

Slowly, but surely, the court heeds his commands. He breathes out a sigh as he puts down the gavel and addresses the young girl.

"Ms. Vice. Are you saying that the defendant threatened you? To do what exactly?"

"Your Honor, I'm telling-"

"To give weird testimony!" Sarah interrupts. "That's why Mommy has been acting weird, especially after Mr. Wright contradicted her. She was also afraid to get any detail wrong because the bad man would hurt her!"

"That's a lie!" Lector jolts up from his seat. "I did nothing of the sort!"

The strike of the gavel commands everyone's attention. "Mr. Lector, please remain seated!"

Lloyd nods his head and does as he is commanded, yet not ending his argument there. "Surely, she must've been mistaken. What benefit would I have gotten from threatening an innocent woman and her child?"

Lector grabs the arms of his chair, clenching them angrily. "Besides, Your Honor, I'm the one on trial! If I had manipulated the Vices to give false testimony, why am I the one sitting in this chair? The girl is talking about someone else, surely!"

Sarah shakes her head. "Nuh-uh, it had to have been you!"

"B-but!"

Lector is silenced when another gavel strike is heard.

"Defendant, you shall calm yourself. Please understand that another outburst will lead to you being held in contempt of court."

The suspect opens his mouth to speak up again but decides against it. He sighs as he sits back properly in his chair.

"Ruth Vice!" Edgeworth calls out, the called looking at him with nervousness in her eyes. "If the defendant had threatened you, no doubt sometime before he was arrested, why did you speak nothing of this?"

The older Vice averts her gaze away from the prosecutor in shame, choosing to answer his question with more stammering.

"S-she was scared, alright? After all, Mr. Lector could have had men obeying his orders and they would have hurt us if Mommy spoke up!" Sarah speaks for the receptionist. "Just because she didn't act like you think she should've doesn't give any of you the right to push her around."

" _A valid concern...but something still seems strange..."_

"This must mean she didn't speak up because the person who threatened them isn't Lector. Because the real killer is still out there," Maya whispers to Phoenix. The attorney looks at her in bewilderment.

"H-how did you… know what I was thinking?"

She flashes a grin. "I'm just using Edgeworth's methods."

" _Oh great. Don't tell me you have his mind reading powers too!"_

A bang from the gavel catches the attention to the court. Setting the gavel down, the judge closes his eyes in thought.

"Miss Vice. This detail greatly interests the court. I request you give testimony on it posthaste."

"Y-yes, Your Honor," Ruth answers, her voice stammered.

His Honor shakes his head. "I wasn't talking to you, Ms. Vice, but to rather your daughter."

The Vice family widens their eyes and shakes their heads.

"I apologize, Ms. Vice, but because of the constant inconsistencies in your testimonies, I believe it would be for the better for your daughter to give testimony on this issue."

"O-Oh…" Ruth breathes a slight sigh of relief. "I see, Your Honor."

"Now then, could you please give your testimony, Young Miss?"

"You'll see!" She cries out. "My testimony will make you all stop bullying her!"

* * *

 **Witness Testimony**

\- Stop Bullying Mommy! -

"There's a reason why Mommy's testimony is so weird!" Sarah begins.

"It's because…" The young pauses for a beat, clearly processing her next words. "Because she was threatened!"

"After the power went out and Mr. Yew went to the fourth floor, he later called Mommy up. That's because he discovered the bodies first!"

"He asked Mommy to come up there without me. But…" Sarah drifts off, looking down in shame. "I followed her anyway…"

"When I caught up with them…" Sarah closes her eyes in fear of remembering the incident. "I saw… the bodies!"

Almost immediately, her eyes shoot back open. "But that's not all! After we all saw the bodies, the 'bad man' appeared! Mr. Lector!"

An embarrassed blush appears on the young Vice's face. She directs her face to the floor to conceal it. "I was really scared, so I don't remember what he said to Mommy and Mr. Yew. But I knew it was something bad when I looked at their faces!"

"But I do remember what he looked like! He wore really long and dark clothes," she declares. Soon after, she looks up in thought, tapping her finger against her chin. "There was nothing else about him that stood out to me."

"A-and then he left! So, see? That's why Mommy was acting weird. There's no reason to keep harassing her!"

* * *

"I see. This is the reason for your mother's odd testimony?"

Sarah nods her head. "Yes, Your Honor!" She answers as she clenches her fists. So, please! Stop bullying her!"

"And, Ms. Vice… Does your daughter's testimony match up with the events of that night?"

Ruth still seems determined to not make eye contact with anyone as her eyes looks towards a random spot on the floor. Her attention is grabbed when Edgeworth slams his hand against the bench.

"Well, Ms. Vice?"

She looks up in surprise. "Y-yes! Of course!"

The elderly judge shakes his head. "I can't believe it, I must say. To threaten a woman and her daughter."

Lloyd clears his throat as he rises from his seat, thinking this is permission enough. "And I will continue to insinuate, Your Honor, the person the young Miss speaks of was not me. She must be talking about someone else."

" _Thinking over her testimony, Lector is right. Yet, I'm not sure what part is wrong."_

"Wright?" The judge calls. "Do you wish to still carry out your cross-examination?"

Without hesitation, the blue-clad attorney nods. "Yes, Your Honor."

"Well, please keep in mind the witness you're cross-examining. Especially in her agitated state."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sarah questions, annoyance in her voice. "I'm not fragile, Your Honor!"

His Honor blinks a couple times. "Uh, yes, of course! I apologize for my wrong choice of words."

" _In other words,"_ Phoenix reflects as a sweat droplet slides down his face. _"constantly pressing her isn't a good strategy. I'll just have to find the contradiction and point it out!"_

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

\- Stop Bullying Mommy! -

"There's a reason why Mommy's testimony is so weird!" Sarah begins.

"It's because…" The young pauses for a beat, clearly processing her next words. "Because she was threatened!"

"After the power went out and Mr. Yew went to the fourth floor, he later called Mommy up. That's because he discovered the bodies first!"

"He asked Mommy to come up there without me. But…" Sarah drifts off, looking down in shame. "I followed her anyway…"

"When I caught up with them…" Sarah closes her eyes in fear of remembering the incident. "I saw…the bodies!"

Almost immediately, her eyes shoot back open. "But that's not all! After we all saw the bodies, the 'bad man' appeared! Mr. Lector!"

An embarrassed blush appears on the young Vice's face. She directs her face to the floor to conceal it. "I was really scared, so I don't remember what he said to Mommy and Mr. Yew. But I knew it was something bad when I looked at their faces!"

"But I do remember what he looked like! He wore really long and dark clothes," she declares. Soon after, she looks up in thought, tapping her finger against her chin. "There was nothing else about him that stood out to me."

 **Objection!**

Wright prepares to slam his hands on his bench. However, he catches and manages to slow his hands before the collision. The slam becomes more akin to a tap.

"Miss Vice! Are you sure the person you saw that night was my client, Lloyd Lector?"

Confidently, the young girl nods her head. "It had to have been!"

Phoenix, not accepting the response, shakes his head. "I'm afraid 'it had to have been' is not sufficient. Please answer conclusively."

Sarah scratches the back of her head, looking up in thought. "Then… it was the defendant."

A grin flashes across Phoenix's face, his hands joining his hips. "And there lies the contradiction!" Wright turns towards Miles, the latter looking at him in expectation. "Edgeworth! Is it not true that what the defendant is wearing now, it's what he wore on the night of the murder?"

The prosecutor nods. "That is true…"

"Now, Sarah. While your description of the 'bad man' wearing dark clothes is accurate to the defendant, I wouldn't describe it as 'long." But that's not all."

Phoenix's gestures his hand towards the defendant, the latter looking at him curiously. "Nothing else about him stood out to you? I think, to any person, the blinding coins on the front of his suit would make an impression."

Lloyd looks down at one of his suit jacket's buttons. "He-He's right!"

Sarah, meanwhile, bounces back in surprise. "Oh!"

 **Objection!**

"The defendant could've easily worn a long overcoat over his usual clothes and disposed them at a later time!" Edgeworth rebuts.

 **Objection!**

"That's quite a theory, Edgeworth! Can you present to the court evidence for my client ever owning that type of clothing? After all, the police checked his room from top to bottom."

Miles's face contorts in annoyance, directly mostly to himself.

The judge closes his eyes in thought, yet shakes his head soon after. "Sustained. Mr. Edgeworth, the defense's argument stands unless you can present evidence for that argument."

Edgeworth rests his fist on the desk, concealing his grunt.

The judge slams his gavel. "Miss Vice. What do you say to Mr. Wright's point?"

"I… I… Oh! I think I remember-"

"Sarah… just please stop for now."

The young girl looks up at her mother in shock. "But… but!"

Ruth looks down at her child, disappointment and disapproval laced across her glare. "Sarah… we'll talk about this later."

The young girl continues to look up at her mother in surprise. But soon her head droops down and begins to remain silent. It's not until a few seconds when Ruth breaks the silence between them. "I believe we are done, Your Honor."

His Honor widens his eyes. "D-done? What do you mean?"

Ruth clears her throat and speaks up. "My daughter and I would like to step down, please."

"I…" The judge shakes his head in surprise. "Well, Prosecutor Edgeworth? Do you agree with their request?"

Miles folds his arms, shutting his eyes. "I believe I have no more to ask them."

The red-clad prosecutor cuts a death glare at them. "I will, however, have a talk with the both of them at a later time."

The judge nods approvingly as he taps the sound block with his gavel. "Then, the Vices may step down."

A bailiff approaches them, waiting for them. The older Vice nods in understanding and takes her daughter's hand. With that, the Vice family disappears from the stand and out the courtroom doors.

"Now then, Prosecutor Edgeworth. Are there any other witnesses you'd like to call?"

However, a response comes from another person. That being from Phoenix, directing attention to himself by clearing his throat. "Actually, Your Honor, the defense would like to call a witness first."

"Oh? You'd like to call a witness?"

The defense attorney nods. "Yes, Your Honor. The defense believes that, at this moment particularly, this witness is most likely more important than any other witness the prosecution has."

His hand massages his chin. "Besides, I believe it is only fair to call them up right now. After all, their name was mentioned quite a few times during the Vices' testimonies. A witness the prosecution originally believed to be unimportant."

Edgeworth's eyebrows uneven. "You don't mean…?"

Wright dips his head. "That's correct. The defense would like to call Howard Yew to the stand!"

"Mr. Yew? That's the manager of the hotel yes?"

"Indeed, Your Honor. Taking into consideration the previous testimony, it's obvious that Mr. Yew holds at least some valuable info!"

Wright can see out of the corner of his eye the gallery nodding their heads in approval. In the other corner, he can see the judge nodding with them, thinking over the attorney's words. "Mr. Edgeworth? Do you agree with Wright's request?"

Miles puts his hands behind his back, looking up in thought. "I believe the defense has a point. Howard Yew would be worth questioning at this point."

He gestures his hand towards a spot in the gallery, inhabited by Sarah and Ruth who are now seated with ashamed looks across their faces. "Additionally, he may be able to clear up any of the confusion that came from the Vices' testimonies."

To approve this decision, the judge bangs his gavel. "We shall take a twenty-minute recess. In that time, we shall have the witness transported here and be prepared for testimony. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Your Honor," both attorneys answer in unison.

"Then, the court is now in recess."

With the bang of the gavel, the judge arises from his seat and heads to his chambers as the attorneys head out the courtroom doors.

 **March 11, 2019, 11:07 AM**

 **Los Angeles District Courthouse**

 **Defendant's Lobby No. 2**

"I must say, Wright," Lector begins as he and the defense team exit the courtroom. "Quite an excellent defense. I knew it was foolish of me to have any doubt."

"No need to thank me yet. We still have a lot of do if we're to prove your innocence."

"Of course," Lloyd agrees, fishing out of his pocket his coin. He begins flipping it perfectly once more, as if the action is routine.

"How troublesome, I say. To be accused of threatening a mother and her child for my gain? Even if I was the killer, I would never stoop that low."

" _But I guess murder is a boundary you're willing to pass?"_

As Lector's coin is mid-flip, Lloyd snatches it with only his pointer finger and thumb. Ignoring the looks of amazement on his defense team's faces, he gazes at the shiny metal with a different type of amazement.

"And then there is the business with this Howard Yew," he continues, cutting a look at Phoenix. "Are you sure he is important to this case?"

"He's worth questioning, at the very least. And, like I said, he was mentioned so many times in Ruth and Sarah's testimony."

At the mention of their names, Lector's gaze turns into that of a thinking one. "Ah, yes. The Vices. I knew there was something a bit suspicious with the receptionist ever since I first came from the hotel."

Lloyd holds down a chuckle. "Ah, but you know what they say. You always have 20/20 hindsight."

The defendant shoves the coin back down his pocket. "Still, it's a shame the woman resorted to such lying because of a murderer."

"Yeah… but doesn't it seem a bit strange?" Maya speaks up, the other two in the room looking at her curiously. Fey taps her finger against her chin as she looks down in thought. "I understand she was forced to lie but something still seems off."

"Really?" Phoenix scratches the back of his head. "Now that you mention it, I do feel a bit strange about it too. But I can't tell what."

Wright and Fey stand in the middle of the Defendant's Lobby, looking down and tapping their feet in thought. Lloyd, feeling out of place, decides to do the same.

" _But, now that we have some time, maybe it would be good to ask Lector about the gun and-"_

"The trial will now resume!" The bailiff screams out, all of the other room occupants resisting the urge to cover their ears.

"W-What?" Phoenix cries out. "But the judge gave us twenty minutes!"

"I apologize, sir!" The bailiff responds, punctuating it with a salute. "But it seems the witness arrived earlier than expected! Hence, His Honor would like to resume now!"

" _I swear, it's like the universe is against me confronting Lector on this."_

"Well then. Shall we head back in?"

Lloyd is the first to walk towards the now courtroom doors, Phoenix and Maya following suit. Court is now back in session.

 **March 11, 2019 11:18 AM**

 **Los Angeles District Courthouse**

 **Courtroom No. 2**

As per usual, the gallery is busy with their own discussions as the attorneys stand at their respective places. As also per usual, the court regains silence at the loud tap of a gavel.

The only thing different than when court began this morning is the presence of a person at the witness stand. Howard Yew stands proper and straight – Phoenix and Maya once again feeling the need to follow suit – as the judge clears his throat.

"Court shall now reconvene. I trust the person at the stand is the witness Mr. Wright requested to testify?"

"Indeed, I am, Your Honor," Yew answers. "My name is Howard Yew. I am the general manager at the hotel and personal butler to its owner."

"Thank you for appearing on such short notice. I believe you are aware why we called you here."

Howards gives a quick nod. "It is because Mr. Wright requested me to testify, yes? Additionally, Ms. Vice mentioned me quite a few times during her testimony."

"That is the reason, yes."

"And what do you say about that, Mr. Yew?" Phoenix inquires.

Howard looks at Wright but takes a few seconds before answering, framing the bottom of his chin with a finger and his thumb. "I believe that Ms. Vice is lying once more."

"Eh? Lying again?" The judge exclaims.

"Indeed, Your Honor. And I'm afraid the young Miss Vice is a bit mistaken as well. I apologize if I sound so brazen but it is the truth."

"Then, if what she says isn't the truth, would you mind giving us testimony on what is?" Phoenix request. The manager-slash-butler nods his head approvingly.

"Certainly."

* * *

 **Witness Testimony**

\- What Really Happened -

"You see, I have a particular routine that I perform every night."

"My routine being: Patrolling every hotel room floor and knocking on every door to see if anyone needs service."

Yew straightens his glasses. "Now for the truth. On the night of the crime, I went to the fourth floor to continue my routine before the blackout, which was before the murders as you said. While on the floor, the power outage occurred."

"I was not deterred by it and continued my routine equipped with a flashlight. However, as I was walking the halls, I encountered something I found a bit strange."

Howard looks up straight at the ceiling, enveloping himself in thought. "I explicitly remember seeing your client, Lloyd Lector, exit the victim's room. He even left the door open."

He breathes out a sigh. "However, at the time, I thought it as business that did not concern me and promptly left."

"Hm…" the judge thinks to himself. "You state this testimony is the truth?"

Howards offers a bow. "Certainly, Your Honor. There's especially no business regarding some "real murderer" threatening us."

The butler gestures his hand towards Edgeworth, catching his attention. "You had even said it yourself, Mr. Edgeworth. If that did happen, then why didn't we testify about it?"

"Nonetheless, the defense shall begin their cross-examination."

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

\- What Really Happened –

"You see, I have a particular routine that I perform every night."

"My routine being: Patrolling every hotel room floor and knocking on every door to see if anyone needs service."

Yew straightens his glasses. "Now for the truth. On the night of the crime, I went to the fourth floor to continue my routine before the blackout, which was before the murders as you said. While I was up there, the power outage occurred."

"I was not deterred by it and continued my routine equipped with a flashlight. However, as I was walking the halls, I encountered something I found a bit strange."

Howard looks up straight at the ceiling, enveloping himself in thought. "I explicitly remember seeing your client, Lloyd Lector, exit the victim's room. He even left the door open."

 **Hold It!**

The blue-clad attorney, thinking, closes his eyes. "That's strange. Aren't you forgetting a detail there, Mr. Yew?"

Howard's thinking silence gives Phoenix his answer.

"Shouldn't you have heard a gunshot? I don't know about you, but that's an important detail I would mention."

Yew's eyebrows raise in realization. "Ah! You are quite correct. I apologize," he punctuates with a bow. "Allow me to amend my testimony."

The manager readies himself to speak again but closes his mouth suddenly. In contemplation, he casts his gaze to the ground.

"Is there something the matter, Mr. Yew?"

Yew jolts his head back up, directing it to His Honor. "Oh, it is nothing of too importance, Your Honor," he bows. "It is just, I had just remembered another detail I forgot to mention. I ask this court to turn a blind eye to my miserable memory. May I add it to my testimony?"

The judge nods approvingly. "You may do so, then."

* * *

"I should also mention that I heard a gunshot prior to this. Additionally, Mr. Lector left the door open so I did the kind thing and closed it, still never looking inside the room."

 **Objection!**

"So, you're saying you closed the door after you saw my client leave the room? Is that correct?"

Yew gives a polite bow as an answer. "Entirely correct, Mr. Wright."

"I see, I see," Phoenix echoes as he reaches into his suit jacket's pocket. His hand comes out clutching the first crime scene photo. "Looking at this photo, Mr. Yew, could you tell me a possible problem?"

Wright holds the photo out, the witness leaning closer to garner a better look. After straightening his glasses to see better, Howard's shocked eyes are soon visible even through the frames.

"I believe you see it now, Mr. Yew? Your story that you didn't investigate the room and then closed the door after Lector left is a total lie!"

"Lie? How so?" The judge scratches his head.

"Please look at the first crime scene photo, Your Honor. I shall note that the way the bodies are seen in the photos were how they were found when the police first arrived. Isn't that right, Mr. Edgeworth?"

Edgeworth, already looking at his copy at the mentioned photo, looks up a tad startled. "Y-yes! That is right."

"O-oh! I see, now. The victim's body… is lying in the middle of the doorway!"

"Meaning two things, Your Honor. One: Anyone would've seen it while walking past that room; and two: it would've been impossible to close in the position it's in!" Phoenix declares as he starts to smirk, mostly directed at Howard. "Wouldn't 'Yew' agree?"

Howard wipes away droplets of sweat forming along his brow, more reappearing by the second.

"Howard! If what you said is true, it contradicts the facts greatly!"

Wright slams his desk. "In other words, you lied in your testimony!"

"L-lie? No, no, no, Mr. Wright, you are surely mistaken. A-as I was I in my testimony!"

Yew calms his weighed breath, giving an apologetic bow afterwards. "As I had mentioned previously, my memory is quite troublesome today and I deeply apologize so."

"So… all you're saying is that you got certain details wrong?"

Another bow. "Yes, Your Honor. Please, allow me to give testimony on what actually happened. I believe I remember the true details."

"I see. I understand how it feels to have bad memory but please sort it out, Mr. Yew. Especially considering the circumstances. Please give this new testimony, Mr. Yew."

For the third time in a row, the butler gives a polite bow. "Certainly, Your Honor."

* * *

 **Witness Testimony**

\- What ACTUALLY Happened -

"Yes, now I remember!" He confidently declares. "I remember arriving on the fourth floor after coming off of the third. That is when the blackout occurred."

"Startled and a tad curious, I started to go back downstairs. However, it is at this point a gunshot rang out! I even heard wrestling from what sounded like the victim's room, which was nearby."

Yew swallows a lump as he nervously straightens his glasses. "I was concerned at this point in time and began approaching the victim's room. However, the door burst open and out ran a person!"

"I retreat down the steps quickly but the bright flash of something did not escape my eyes."

Howard holds out his hand towards the seated Lector. "Mr. Lector wears shiny coins on his suit, yes? Surely, that must've been him."

* * *

"You saw what you thought was the defendant?" Edgeworth speaks up. "Mr. Yew, this is quite valuable information!" Miles slightly raises his voice. "Why did you speak nothing of this?"

Yew, for the first time anyone in the court has seen, removes his glasses, his eyes remaining closed, however. With a handkerchief he retrieves from his breast pocket, he polishes the lens. "I apologize but as I had said, my memory is failing me a bit."

He puts them on once more, readjusting them slightly. "I am ashamed to admit that it has been this way for quite a while."

"That's funny," Maya pouts as her eyes close in thought. "He sure didn't have a hard time remembering a rumor about all of the artwork in the hotel."

" _Meaning, he may be lying again. He's been doing this ever since we met him. But the grand question is… why?"_

"The defense may now begin their cross-examination."

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

\- What ACTUALLY Happened –

"Yes, now I remember!" He confidently declares. "I remember arriving on the fourth floor after coming off of the third. That is when the blackout occurred."

"Startled and a tad curious, I started to go back downstairs. However, it is at this point a gunshot rang out! I even heard wrestling from what sounded like the victim's room, which was nearby."

Yew swallows a lump as he nervously straightens his glasses. "I was concerned at this point in time and began approaching the victim's room. However, the door burst open and out ran a person!"

"I retreat down the steps quickly but the bright flash of something did not escape my eyes."

Hold It!

"Just to make sure, you were on the fourth floor, right?"

Howard simply nods. "Indeed, I was."

Wright rubs his chin as he looks up at the ceiling. "Hm… that is a lot of stairs. It may have taken you a while, right?"

"That is correct. I was quite frightened in that moment as I grimly thought the killer would catch me."

Wright folds his arms behind his back, his gaze now at the courtroom tile. "That does remind me of something now… Did you meet anybody as you were going back down the stairs?"

Yew thinks on it a while. "I did not. As I was rushing down those flights as quickly as I could, I did not meet anybody coming up or down."

"Can you add that to your testimony, then?"

"Surely," he states with a bow. "Allow me to repeat."

* * *

"As I was rushing down those flights as quickly as I could, I did not meet anybody coming up or down."

 **Objection!**

"Nobody?" Phoenix asks again, a smirk etching on his face. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Telling by the look at your face, Mr. Wright, it seems the both of us are sure of something."

"Maybe I can turn my point to Edgeworth," Phoenix begins, facing towards the prosecutor. The opposing attorney shoots a perplexed look.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure what you are getting at, Wright."

"I'd just like for you to remember a point I made when Ms. Vice was on the stand. Tell me, what point did I make when I mistakenly proved she was on the fourth floor before the murders?"

"Hm… well, you stated that if Ruth truly did take the stairs before the murders then she should've run into…"

Edgeworth's eyes widen as he casts this gaze at Howard. Yew sees this from the corner of this eyes and precipitation forms along his brow again.

"Into the third victim!"

"Exactly! Mr. Yew! If you truly did go back downstairs after you saw my client ran out the room, at some point you should've saw the victim running for his life, the killer not far behind!"

Yew retrieves his handkerchief again, lightly patting his forehead to combat the cascading sweat. "Well… you see… I…"

"However," Edgeworth objects, pointing at Phoenix. "When you went back on your point of Ruth originally being on the fourth floor, you guessed she took another flight of stairs, which is why she didn't come across the third victim!"

Edgeworth's hand suddenly and loudly comes in contact with his bench. "Can't the same be applied here?"

"But Mr. Yew here seemed awfully insistent that he ran into nobody when he was coming down the stairs. If that is the case, then why wasn't she mentioned in his testimony?"

Howard jumps back, his glass nearly flying off his face. "That's… well!" He shouts as snatches his lenses from his face, nervously cleaning them with his handkerchief.

"I suggest you just admit it, Mr. Yew. You're lying once more! Have been ever since your first testimony and even before then!"

"G-gaaah!" The manager cries out, his hand clenching down on his glasses, bending the frames. He looks down in horror before miraculously straightening them back to their original fixed position.

Howard calms his erratic breathing, calmly putting back on his glasses. A deep breath and a couple seconds of silence later and he begins to speak again.

"You are correct, Mr. Wright. I deeply apologize for all of my constant lying."

"You… admit, you were lying?" The judge asks.

"Correct," Yew bows. "I will not admit my reasons but will be happy to accept any punishment for my actions."

Howard becomes silent once more as he taps his foot in thought. It is not long until he speaks again.

"Very well, then. Do you desire the truth? Then allow me to give it to you."


	7. Howard's Revelation

**(AN: Thank you once again for coming to read this story, whether you're a newcomer or a long time follower! This is the final chapter for the first trial day, so I hope you enjoy!**

 **Now...for an announcement. This will be the final chapter for this year. Meaning, this story won't return until the beginning of next year. Reason for the hiatus is for several less-selfish reason, but one I'll mention is because I believe I received a bit of a burnout. This...recreational activity has been turning into more of a arduous task at times and I believe my writing has suffered from that. My audience - you - deserve better. Therefore, I'll take a little breather for about a month and hope that when I return it is with a clear head and with better words on the page. I do hope you understand.**

 **Thank you for reading once more and have a nice rest of your day!)**

 **Witness Testimony**

\- The Defendant's Threats -

"I had told many lies earlier today and am now prepared to tell you the full truth. If my memory doesn't fail me…"

Yew rubs his chin in thought. "Before the power outage, Ms. Vice and I were simply indulging in a small conversation."

"After the blackout occurred, I decided to go investigate the generator, keeping contact with Ms. Vice via walkie-talkie. Then I heard the gunshot."

Howard removes his handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing his sweating forehead. "I was frightened…dazed! I didn't act until Ms. Vice informed me of her receiving calls from several fourth-floor guests informing of noises of a struggle."

"When I finally arrived…I came across the gruesome crime scene."

"I alert Ms. Vice of this with my walkie-talkie, explicitly stating to not bring her daughter," Howard continues, looking up at the gallery as he finishes. "But, as we previously discovered, that command was not met."

"When all of us were finally met face-to-face with the bodies…that is when Mr. Lector appeared. He made threatening demands to have me and Ms. Vice to give false testimony…" Howard pauses as he swallows a lump in his throat. "…unless we wish to face harsh consequences."

"The reason we did not speak of this after Mr. Lector's arrest was in fear of him still being acquitted or having people under his control seek after us."

Yew offers the court another bow. "I hope I have finally cleared up any confusion with this testimony. But most importantly, this detail: The defendant is the one who committed the crime."

* * *

A person in the gallery drops their pen, the noise echoing deafeningly throughout the entire room. After a minute or two, quiet and quick whispers are heard throughout the upper crowd. Eventually, they get louder and longer to the point the judge bangs his gavel.

"Order, order!" He commands, scratching his bald head. "This is…quite a surprise."

"Defendant," Miles calls out to. "What do you say to this accusation by Mr. Yew?"

"Preposterous!"

Miles continues to look at Lector expectantly, the latter remaining silent in his seat. The prosecutor taps his foot impatiently.

"Perhaps, you would care to elaborate?"

"I believe I have no more to add. Simply and utterly preposterous."

"However, it is the truth," Howard assures. Phoenix hears a crack of nervousness in the statement, yet it seems to go unnoticed by the court.

"But…you have said yourself that you did not wish to say anything regarding my supposed threats because of what I may do to you!" Lector yells out. "You even denied this story when you first arrived on the stand!"

Lloyd leans forward towards Howard. The guard behind him leans forward as well, prepared for anything.

"Tell me! What has now made you change your mind?"

Yew looks back at the judge, releasing a deep breath. "I shall no longer be scared of you, Mr. Lector. I wish to reveal the truth, is all."

Lloyd grabs his head, the court noticing growing frustration. "Plenty here that makes no sense. Why must you all…!"

However, the bang of a gavel snaps Lector back to attention. "Defendant! Calm yourself at once."

A beat or two later, Lector returns his original posture in his seat. "I apologize."

" _Lector is right. There're some things about Howard's testimony that don't make much sense. Besides…you'd think with all that lying, it'd be harder to break Howard but here he is confessing?"_

Howard removes his lenses and cleans them with her handkerchief. His eyes, for the first time, are visible to the naked eye, darting about the room nervously.

" _Howard has to be lying again. I'm sure of it."_

"Would the defense like to carry out their cross-examination?"

Phoenix nods at the judge. "Y-yes, Your Honor!"

"Then, you may proceed."

* * *

 **Cross-Examination**

\- The Defendant's Threats -

"I had told many lies earlier today and am now prepared to tell you the full truth. If my memory doesn't fail me…"

Yew rubs his chin in thought. "Before the power outage, Ms. Vice and I were simply indulging in a small conversation."

"After the blackout occurred, I decided to go investigate the generator, keeping contact with Ms. Vice via walkie-talkie. Yet, I was drawn to the fourth floor after I heard a gunshot."

 **Hold it!**

Phoenix rubs his chin. "Y-you heard the gunshot first?"

"Indeed. It was quite loud so it echoed through the hotel quite clearly."

Phoenix furrows his brows in thought. "And you're sure the gunshot was heard first?"

The manager nods his head, straightening his glasses afterwards. "I promised I would tell no more lies, Mr. Wright."

"Is this questioning going anywhere, Wright?" Edgeworth catches Phoenix's attention.

The lawyer rubs his chin in thought, before shaking his head. "N-no. Please continue."

" _Did you notice something weird?"_ Maya whispers, leaning closer to Wright.

" _I'm…not sure yet,"_ Phoenix replies in the same pitch.

* * *

Howard removes his handkerchief from his pocket, dabbing his sweating forehead. "I was frightened…dazed! I didn't act until Ms. Vice informed me of her receiving calls from several fourth-floor guests informing of noises of a struggle."

 **Hold it!**

"She was receiving calls from guests? But wasn't there a power outage?"

"Our phones are a bit special, you see, Mr. Wright. They are able to work even in such conditions."

"Yes, yes…" Edgeworth echoes, tapping his finger against one of his folded arms. "I remember being told this when I investigated the crime scene. Surely, Wright, you were told the same thing?"

Phoenix thinks on it as well. _"Wait…I think I remember something like that."_

* * *

" _Is there anything else you can tell us about the phones?"_

 _The scruffy investigator scratched his head in thought. "Um… They can work without needing power from the wall."_

" _Huh? How is that possible?" Maya queried._

" _Well, as you can see, they're plugged in to the wall. But, in the case of a blackout, there's a battery inside it that'll make it still operational. We checked several other rooms and it was the same thing with all them."_

* * *

"That's right," Phoenix nods. "There's a battery in each of them that'll power the phones in case the power in the wall stops working."

"That is correct, Mr. Wright," Howard nods. "The same applies to the phones for staff use."

"So, you received several calls of a struggle after you heard the gunshot? You're sure?"

"That night has been burned into my mind, Mr. Wright. Despite my previous lies of having bad memory, there is nothing that can make me forget such a time."

" _There's that question again. Are you thinking of some sort of argument, Nick?"_

Maya's answer is given when she sees the attorney's eyes closed, clearly deep in thought.

"Uh…can you please continue, Mr. Yew?" Maya asks in Wright's stead.

"Surely, Ms. Fey. After Ms. Vice told me about the calls, I rushed to the fourth floor."

* * *

"When I finally arrived…I came across the gruesome crime scene."

"I alert Ms. Vice of this with my walkie-talkie, explicitly stating to not bring her daughter," Howard continues, looking up at the gallery as he finishes. "But, as we previously discovered, that command was not met."

"When all of us were finally met face-to-face with the bodies…that is when Mr. Lector appeared. He made threatening demands to have me and Ms. Vice to give false testimony…" Howard pauses as he swallows a lump in his throat. "…unless we wish to face harsh consequences."

"The reason we did not speak of this after Mr. Lector's arrest was in fear of him still being acquitted or having people under his control seek after us."

Yew offers the court another bow. "I hope I have finally cleared up any confusion with this testimony. But most importantly, this detail: The defendant is the one who committed the crime."

 **Hold it!**

"My client has brought up a good point. If you were worried about an acquittal or having men come after you, why are you now telling the truth? Aren't you still worried what may happen to you?"

Phoenix ignores Lloyd muttering "Exactly" under his breath.

Yew straightens his glasses. "Despite my and the Vice family's initial concerns, I shall not let a heinous murderer escape for such selfish reasons. And, surely, I will be placed in a Witness Protection Program."

The court notices the sweat appearing along Howard's brow a lot faster. "However, even in the case we are not placed in the program or it is not affective, I shall take consideration into my surroundings even more and will attempt to aptly defend myself. As for the Vice family…"

Yew grabs onto the sides of the witness stand, leaning forward as his glasses slide down his face. The court is surprised at this type of excitedness, a mood not previously expressed.

"I shall protect them with my life!"

The court stares on in bewilderment, the butler quickly picking up on the mood. He composes himself and politely clears his throat.

"I hope you may excuse me. It was not my intention to lose my composure like such."

"It is..." His Honor drifts off, his eyes just as surprised. "…quite fine. I understand recalling this event must be troublesome."

"Indeed."

" _So, you've noticed anything, Nick?"_

"I think I may have something," Phoenix answers, his voice lowered, yet not to the pitch of Fey's.

"Y-you do?" The medium answers in the same pitch.

Maya gets no further answer as Wright slams his hands on the bench, catching the surprise of all present. Yet, he doesn't answer immediately, thinking over his point a bit more.

"Wright?" Edgeworth calls. "You seem to have come to a revelation, have you not?"

"If you have something to say, defense, the court asks for you to state it now."

" _This has to be a possibility. And maybe if I'm lucky, the judge will give another day of investigation. Then, I could find some more clues."_

Phoenix is still silent for a while before he finally speaks again.

"I asked Mr. Yew a couple times in his testimony if the order of events were correct."

"Order of events?" Miles raises a brow. "What do you mean?"

"In his testimony, Mr. Yew stated that immediately after the blackout he heard the gunshot. Afterwards, Ms. Vice had told him that she had just received calls of what sounded like a struggle on the fourth floor."

"I'm afraid I am not seeing the defense's point."

Phoenix reaches down and pulls out an envelope from his bag; the autopsies. "However, doesn't that contradict what's stated in the autopsy reports?"

The prosecutor and the judge's eyes widen, immediately consulting their copies as Wright continues.

"They state that the first victim, Bob Stir, died before the second victim, Carter Fly. The first victim, as we know, was stabbed but the second victim was the one shot."

Phoenix barely hears Edgeworth concealing a grunt on the other side of the room. He internally grins at realizing the prosecutor has arrived at the answer.

"Mr. Yew's testimony and the reports don't compliment each other. One says the gunshot then the struggle while the other says the struggle then the gunshot. Meaning, one of them isn't the case."

"Are you saying the witness is lying again, Mr. Wright?" The judge asks.

"In this case, I would say no. This seems to be a very odd thing to lie about. And while he could be mistaken, Mr. Yew stated that the night is burned into his memory. In this case, that statement would make more sense. Remembering if a loud, booming sound came before or after a worrying call is less likely to be muddled in your mind, especially if the memory is just from two days ago."

"Wait…" the judge begins. "You're not saying the police are mistaken, are you?"

Wright nods approvingly. "That is exactly what I'm stating. The times of deaths for Fly and Stir were switched!"

The gallery immediately breaks into a frenzy, the judge and Edgeworth noticeably affected by the revelation as well. After some time passes, the voices of the court are accompanied by the noises of the gavel, striking against the sound block.

"Order in the court!" The judge commands, putting down his gavel near immediately when the crowd obeys the first command for order. "The time of deaths were switched," the judge turns to Phoenix. "But Mr. Wright. The only evidence you have for this claim is Mr. Yew's testimony, which you have been calling into question for some time. Do you have any concrete proof?"

" _It's true that I don't have any definite proof, at the moment,"_ Wright's thoughts echo. However, his pondering expression is soon replaced with a small grin. _"And that's exactly what I want."_

"It's true, Your Honor," Wright addresses. "I don't have any definite proof for my argument. However, the defense proposes that another autopsy for Carter Fly and Bob Stir be carried out, in order to find out the truth!"

 **Objection!**

Phoenix looks to the other side of the room and feels his stomach drop at the grinning Edgeworth. Clicking his tongue, he taps his temple with his forefinger.

"My, my, my. You haven't evolved a day, have you, Wright?"

"I'm not sure what you mean?" Wright asks, his voice trembling slightly.

"Back to pulling your old tricks of fooling His Honor to grant you another day of investigation?" Edgeworth shakes his head.

"F-fool? Were you trying to fool me, Mr. Wright?"

"N-no, Your Honor!"

"Allow me to call you on your bluff then, Wright," Edgeworth interrupts. "Firstly, I will not assign coroners from one case back to one they've finished based on the assumption of a defense attorney. If you do wish for that to happen, you will have to present reasonable proof rather than the word of a witness."

Phoenix feels a bead of sweat slide down his face. _"But that's not all…is it?"_

Edgeworth smirks at Phoenix's look. "But that's not all."

" _Called it."_

"If we did carry out another autopsy and it indeed is discovered that the time of deaths for the first two victims were switched…what does that change? It doesn't further prove or disprove the guilt of the defendant and would end up being nothing more than a time-waster. In other words,"

Edgeworth slams his hand atop the desk.

"This argument boils down to another failed bluff by Wright himself!"

Phoenix clenches his teeth in frustration, looking down in shame. Maya stares at the attorney in disbelief.

"Really, Nick? _That_ was your grand argument?"

"Could you come up with anything better, Maya?"

The spirit medium looks up in thought briefly. "Well, no. But still!"

"I agree with Prosecutor Edgeworth, Mr. Wright. The court needs more conclusive proof in order to carry out your request. And, unless you can present that, we shall move on with Mr. Yew's testimony."

"However, Your Honor," Howard speaks up again. "I have nothing more to add. The defendant is the murderer and threatened me and the Vice family."

"How truly terrifying it must've been for you. To experience the threats of a murderer…"

Lloyd is nearly leaping from his seat, his expression clearly displaying he wishes to scream in anger. Phoenix notices this and immediately begins sweating again.

"Come on, Nick! Don't you have anything else? They're buying what Howard is saying."

"I know, I know," he grunts. "I know! It's just…what else?"

Phoenix looks through his bag, trying to see any evidence or clues he missed. However, his search comes up unfruitful as fear continues to assault him.

" _I just need another day of investigation. Please…there has to be something here."_

"Is there something the matter, Wright?"

Phoenix, despair laced along his face, looks up at Edgeworth.

"Wright, I understand your trust in your clients. I admire such trust and tenacity. Yet…"

Miles's expression twists back into seriousness.

"Sometimes one's trust can be misplaced. Sometimes, the person you believed in to the end was putting up nothing more than a façade. A façade to hide their true intentions. I believe this is one of those cases, Wright."

" _N-no! Not after I promised Lector an acquittal…No! There has to be something. There has to…be…something…"_

* * *

 _The older Vice shot an accusatory glare at Lector, her daughter mirroring the action. "I remember, while coming up at the fourth floor, I saw the defendant rush out of the room."_

* * *

Phoenix's eyes widen. _"Has to be…something…"_

* * *

 _Howard looked up straight at the ceiling, enveloping himself in thought. "I explicitly remember seeing your client, Lloyd Lector, exit the victim's room. He even left the door open."_

* * *

" _Has to be something…"_ The lawyer repeats to himself.

* * *

 _Howard held out his hand towards the seated Lector. "Mr. Lector wears shiny coins on his suit, yes? Surely, that must've been him."_

* * *

" _That's it! That's the thing that doesn't make sense."_

Phoenix's thinking is caught of guard by the judge's gavel. Wright knows by the sound of that, he has to make his statement now.

"If that is all the witness wishes to say, then I shall hereby end the cross-examination of Howard-"

 **Objection!**

The judge pauses just as the gavel was going to strike. He looks over in surprise at the determined Phoenix.

"Is there one last thing you wish to add, Mr. Wright?"

"There is, Your Honor. The last thing I wish to add…is a question."

"A question?"

"Yes. And that question is…" Phoenix shoots an accusatory glare at the witness, the latter looking at him in shock. "Has everyone fallen for Mr. Yew's lies?"

"L-lies?" Howard stutters. "I swear, Mr. Wright, I am telling no more lies."

"How long do you insist on bluffing, Wright?"

Phoenix shakes his head. "I'm not bluffing, Prosecutor Edgeworth. As a matter of fact,"

Wright grins as he directs his finger at Miles. "I'll enlist your help to prove my point!"

The prosecutor taps one of his folded arms, raising a brow at this statement. "Very well, then. I'll indulge."

"So, Mr. Yew states that he was afraid to mention Lector threatening him and the Vice family to give false testimony, right? Edgeworth, I'd like for you to look at Ms. Vice's first testimony and tell us when you are finished."

Edgeworth is hesitant but eventually does reach down to grab some papers from his briefcase, sighing while doing so. Finally coming up with a stack of papers his eyes scan along every letter on the page. Suddenly, they stop as he near finishes the paper, darting over the last few words again. The prosecutor's snidely confident expression transforms into a scowl as Phoenix grins at the sight.

"I'll take it that you've finished reading it. Now, please look at Howard's testimony. While reading it, please try to remember his last two statements as well."

Edgeworth grimaces as he follows Phoenix's first request, his expression becoming even more hopeless when he finishes reading that one.

"Now then, Mr. Edgeworth, could you please tell me what about these testimonies don't make sense considering the recently discovered fact?" Phoenix asks confidently. Maya shakes her head at seeing how much he's enjoying this. "Actually, perhaps I should have Mr. Yew answer."

All eyes bare into Howard, the butler-slash-manager sweating bullets. "N-no! You misunderstand, Wright! Please, you misunderstand!"

"Perhaps, to save time Mr. Wright, you can explain this after you tone down your confidence."

Wright's attitude changes in a flash, the lawyer ignoring Maya's slight snickering at the sudden shift. "O-of course, Your Honor," he stumbles before directing a serious expression at the current witness.

"Mr. Yew. The defendant supposedly threatened you to give false testimony on the chance he's arrested. But, if I was him in that situation, would I threaten you to lie on the chance I get arrested rather than have you lie to cover up the very crime I committed? Besides, the records will show that your testimony, along with Ms. Vice's implicated the defendant quite a bit."

Yew, unlike before, doesn't bother trying to combat with his perspiration.

"I won't deny you were threatened that night but you and Ms. Vice have been covering for the person who threatened you for this entire trial. They're the reason the both of you have been extremely nervous for the entire trial. Why? Because they're still free. Because they're…"

Phoenix casts his finger toward the panicked Yew.

"The real murderer!"

The gallery breaks into a considerable frenzy, the judge still able to silence them with a couple taps of the gavel.

"B-but!" Edgeworth screams out. "Have you forgotten that there's evidence and eyewitnesses that bound the defendant to this crime?"

Edgeworth reaches down to pull out the murder weapons, each sealed in their own bag. "With the exception of the knife, these weapons were found within Lector's room with his fingerprints! This accusation of a 'real murderer' is simply untrue."

 **Objection!**

"The murder weapons could've easily been forged. And as for your key eyewitnesses, Mr. Edgeworth,"

Phoenix gestures towards Howard, whose head is now drooped down in shame.

"They've been revealed as liars!"

 **Objection!**

"I will concede that two of my witnesses were revealed to be untruthful. However! There is no proof for your first claim."

Phoenix opens his mouth to answer, but closes it to think on it more. Finally, he nods his head in agreement. "Then you're right, Mr. Edgeworth. I have no proof to clear my client of the accusations. Yet, now with everything revealed today, you no longer have sufficient proof concretely proving his guilt either!"

Edgeworth's eye twitches.

"And I believe the only way we can clear up the confusion brought up today is another day of investigation! Well, Your Honor?"

The two lawyers turn to look at the judge, his eyes closed in thought. Suddenly, Howard's voice catches Phoenix's attention.

"I hope you're prepared, Mr. Wright."

"W-what?"

"The truth of this case that you are so desperately seeking. I do hope you're prepared for what it is."

Phoenix stares at the butler in confusion and bewilderment, thinking on his words. However, those thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the gavel.

"Mr. Wright is…well, right. There has been a lot of confusion brought forth today that I don't believe our current knowledge can clear up. I believe another day on investigation is in order here. Would the prosecution agree?"

Miles, his composure back to its calmer form, simply nods. "As much as I am hesitant to, I agree, Your Honor."

"Very well, then. It is decided. Court shall resume tomorrow at precisely the same time as always. That is all. Court is adjourned."

With the last strike of the gavel, the first trial day is finished.


	8. The Investigation Continues

**(AN:** **Hello! If you're a newcomer, welcome and thank you for reading! And if you have been following this story for some time, then Check-in at the Turnabout returns!**

 **I apologize that this chapter has been a long time in the making. I stated in the last chapter that I was taking a hiatus until the beginning of this January and, while I did so, it took me a long time to write this chapter because I didn't reason that a month hiatus would make it harder to get back into the groove of writing. And then it took some time for the images of this chapter to be finished. So, in the end, I apologize for the slow process of this chapter.**

 **In short, I thank you all for taking the time to read this chapter! I also hope you appreciate a new addition to this chapter (and probably future ones) to make this story seems more Ace Attorney-esque. Thank you and have a nice day!)**

 **March 11, 2019 12:32 PM**

 **Wright & Co. Law Offices**

"So, Nick. Why did you want to come back to the office?"

Wright plops down in the first chair he sees, a long sigh following. Maya taps her foot impatiently as she sees the attorney getting comfortable.

"Nick! This is no time to be resting!"

"Maya…" Phoenix whines. "I almost suffered several heart attacks in court today, at least let me get my bearings straight."

Fey's annoyed look softens before she drops her arms, admitting defeat. "Fine. I can't lie, I'm a bit tired too." The medium drops into a nearby chair across from Phoenix. The office is silent.

Until Maya nearly leaps out of her seat in excitement.

"But man! I forgot how cool you were in the courtroom, Nick!"

" _You sure got your energy back quick."_

"I gotta say, Nick, you really know how to bluff when it counts. Good thing the judge bought your excuse about not having enough evidence for a conviction."

"It wasn't a bluff!" The attorney retaliates before thinking on it a bit. "Ok, maybe it was a little…"

Maya gives a smirk. "But didn't you tell me in Lector's room yesterday that you never bluff?"

Wright looks up in thought. "I wasn't under oath?"

The assistant snickers at the remark before her face turns serious. "I really didn't expect what happened with Ruth and Howard."

"Yeah, I know," Phoenix nods. "I mean… I didn't expect _both_ of them to be lying."

"And they seemed so scared to. Do you think it's because of the…?"

"The real murderer?"

The office goes silent as the two present close their eyes in contemplation. Eventually finding the silence to be strangling, Maya speaks up.

"Do you have a clue on who the real murderer is, Nick?"

"Not even an inkling. But there's one thing they both taught me today: the murderer can't be Lector."

Phoenix pats one of his pockets. "The Magatama also confirmed that."

"But why did Lector have those gloves and that gun?" Fey reminds, Phoenix grimacing at the memory of plucking those from the flower pot soil. "He wasn't planning to kill somebody that night, was he?"

"I…" Phoenix hesitates, not wanting to come to the conclusion. "I can't say for sure. But I know it's not Lector. It can't be."

"Well, we just have to find the real culprit like usual, huh Nick?" Maya beams bolting over to Phoenix and strongly gripping his arm. The attorney finds himself suddenly on his feet with the feeling of his arm being pulled from its socket.

"And we're not going to find that sitting here, Nick!"

"Ok..." he concedes. "I feel a bit better now. First, let's go to the Detention Center and check in on Lector.?"

Maya nods her head in agreement and promptly heads out the door, Wright following close behind.

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 12:56 PM**

 **Detention Center**

"What do you mean we can't talk to Lector right now?" Maya exclaims.

"Sorry, sir and madam," the guard starts to explain. "Mr. Lector is in the middle of questioning at the moment so you'll have to wait until they're done."

"But…" Maya stammers. "Can't you tell them to take a break so we can talk to Lloyd for a little bit? Like you did last time?"

The guard cocks his head. "I'm sorry, sir and madam, I don't remember 'last time.' I've never seen you before."

" _R-really? But you look exactly like the other guard..."_

"Besides, the investigators really don't wish to be bothered right now, so I ask you to come back later."

Maya readies herself for another rebuttal or plea before Phoenix interrupts her.

"It's fine, Maya. We'll talk to Lector later. Let's just continue the investigation at the hotel for now. Lector will be available later, right?"

The guard nods his head. "Perhaps, sir."

Maya's slight pout persists for a couple seconds but she soon wipes it away. "Fine, let's go, then."

" _And here's to hoping it's a lot more informative than it was yesterday."_

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 1:20 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

Now that it's the next day, the team admits that seeing the hotel's entrance is not nearly as impressive as it was the previous day before. Phoenix figures it's because of the investigation on their minds, what happened in the trial earlier, or because they're used to the hotel's extravagant design. However, Wright still won't deny the building is gorgeous and that a more expansive investigation today will hopefully reveal some more surprises.

Walking towards the entrance, the team notice a police car parked a few hundred feet from the entrance. And not far from it stands a familiar face.

"Detective Falcon?"

"Hey," Samuel greets with a tip of his fedora. "Gotta say, you caused quite a ruckus in the courtroom today. I forgot it was your forte to give the police more work."

"What can I say…" Phoenix speak, unsureness in his tone. "I have my methods?"

"You got methods, alright. I mean... a real murderer? Seriously?"

Falcon sighs and shakes his head before pulling out his notepad, scribbling and flipping through it. "Though, I guess that's why the judge granted you two another day. You'd be a good poker player with that kind of bluffing."

" _Ok, there was some bluff what I said earlier, but it was mostly a conclusive argument, right? Someone has to agree."_

"So…" Maya speaks up. "What's happening here, Detective?"

"Hm? What you mean by that?"

Fey points her head to the left of Samuel. Both Phoenix and Falcon turn their head to get a look at another familiar face: Jared Kish, an angry pout clear across his face.

"Oh, yeah. Managed to overhear Kish here bragging to someone over the phone that he was withholding info from the police. So, now I gotta take him in… question him and all that. Seriously, I miss the time this case was simple enough."

Falcon shrugs his arms. "Hell, I shouldn't be complaining though. I wanted to be on a big case again, after all. If just everyone involved weren't a bunch of liars."

Samuel bears a cold stare into Jared. "Like this brat here."

"Hey man!" Kish starts to holler. "You can bleed me all you want at that station but I'm saying nothing you hear? I… I plead my Fourth and Fifth, so you can't get anything out of me now!"

" _That's not how... literally anything works…"_

"Alright, alright; just get in the car, we'll talk all about this at the station."

Samuel leads the young adult over to the nearby cop car, putting him in the back seat. Closing the door, Falcon walks back over to the duo.

"Well, I'm off. If you want, you can go around and investigate the hotel as you please but you'll be accompanied by an officer in any of the crime scenes or wherever we determined points of interest, alright?"

"A-alright?"

"Good."

Samuel turns around and walks back towards the car before freezing and turning back to the defense team.

"By the way, I almost forgot to mention. It looks like Edgeworth followed up on your other bluff in court today."

Wright cocks his head. "Other bluff?"

"You know? That whole thing with the autopsy reports? He said he was curious to see if that accusation was true so he assigned the coroners who worked on them to check their homework. You know, to make sure they dotted their i's and crossed their t's."

Samuel fishes out his pad from his pocket and flips through it before landing on a page. "They said they'll be done sometime later this evening."

"Wow! That's fast!" Maya exclaims.

"Yeah, it was Edgeworth's request for them to pick up the pace with this round."

Samuel walks over to the driver's door, turning back to tip his fedora in goodbye. Opening the door, he quickly slides in and just as quickly pulls off, soon leaving the hotel. The team wastes no time heading inside to begin their investigation once more.

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 1:25 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center I**

Momentarily feeling a strong blast of air-conditioned wind blowing over them first walking in, the team notice that the lobby is not nearly as crowded as it was yesterday around this time. Phoenix notes that the amount of people present is akin to the time before they went to Lector's room, only with a few more police officers strolling about.

Phoenix doesn't bother trying to figure why as both he and Maya pause when they see two more familiar faces. As they expected, Ruth is stationed at the front desk but the sight that makes them pause is that Howard is present in front of it, the two engaging in conversation.

The team can tell, even from their distance, that the conversation is anything but pleasant. The worried looks on both of their faces combined with Howard's nervous sweating clearly gives away that. _"It's probably about the trial."_

Suddenly, Howard turns his head towards the door and his eyebrows lift at what he sees. "Ah! Mr. Wright," the butler greets with a bow. The team take this a sign to walk over to them.

"How are you, Mr. Wright?" Ruth greets as well. "Welcome back!"

"Hello!" Maya greets kindly. She looks around the area as if looking for another presence. The medium strains her neck to get a peek at the nearby glass shop to see if anybody is inside. All she sees is a tall, gruff man in green suspenders. "Where's Sarah, Ms. Vice?"

"Oh, she was feeling a bit tired. So, I dropped her off at home to get a breather after I stepped off the stand."

"Is it safe to leave her home by herself?" Phoenix inquires worryingly.

"Well, Mr. Lodgings wouldn't let me take the day off despite everything that happened today. He called it punishment for what we did in the trial and all. So, I had no choice, Mr. Wright."

Ruth shakes her head in annoyance before beaming a smile back at the pair. "Besides, she's mature enough to take care of herself."

" _Yeah, but isn't she like…eight? But more importantly, they seem oddly kind to us."_

Silence falls upon the air, the two hotel employees immediately picking up on it. They, as well, detect the slightly uncomfortable looks on the defense team's faces.

"Whatever is the matter, Mr. Wright?" Howard queries.

"Aren't you… mad at us?" Maya asks.

"We did expose you as liars in court. Yet, you're acting as if nothing happened."

"Oh," Ruth slightly chuckles. "Well, we aren't really mad at you, Mr. Wright."

"Indeed. In actuality, you have lifted some of the matters weighing on us," Howard graciously gives a bow.

"Some, is it? What else is concerning you?"

The two employees' faces immediately deadpan, their bodies stiffening in fear and surprise. Wright readily picks this up.

"Is it the real identity of the culprit that you're still worried about?"

They turn their heads away, trying to look in every direction except Wright's. Phoenix sighs, nearly feeling bad for pressing them like this again.

"C'mon, Mr. Wright," Ruth mutters under her breath, looking down at her desk. "Can't you give us a bit of a rest?"

The attorney shakes his head. "I understand that I've put a strain on you two in court today. But my client's life is on the line. If you know the identity of a true culprit, then you need to tell us."

"I'm afraid… we cannot, Mr. Wright."

Phoenix focuses on Yew, the butler polishing his spectacles with her handkerchief.

"You may have proven that there is a possible 'real culprit' in court, due to our constant lying and worried behavior, but it won't be nearly as bad as us admitting who this person is."

"So, you admit you know that Lector is being framed?" Maya asks, her tone of voice mixed with surprise and annoyance.

Yew and Vice simply nod their heads.

"I understand your worry, your fear of what might happen," Phoenix assures. "But an innocent man's life is on the line."

The two lower their heads in shame and contemplation.

"You even said so yourself, Mr. Yew. You would be put into witness protection for speaking out, wouldn't you?"

"I'm afraid it is not that simple in this case, Mr. Wright," Howard meekly asserts. "The culprit… they hold a certain power over us."

Phoenix opens his mouth to say more but hesitates when seeing the deathly fearful looks on their faces. Phoenix taps his foot, thinking, carefully considering his next words. Unfortunately, Maya's next words imply she didn't consider hers.

"Maybe you know something about the murder, then. Maybe you know… _quite a bit."_

Every head present looks over at her, surprise the only emotion. Her accusatory stare at the hotel employees make it apparent she's unnerved by it.

"M-Ms. Fey! You're not implying?"

"I mean, you could be lying to us again. Maybe the reason you don't want to tell us who's the real culprit is because one of you are. You could even have a motive."

"Maya! What are you-"

"M-Ms. Fey!" Howard jumps in, his voice stumbling. "I assure you, what you say is outrageous."

"Y-yeah!" Ruth concurs. "We don't have a motive for murdering three people and we certainly didn't do it either!"

Suddenly, a bright flash enters Phoenix's eyes. It blinds him momentarily, almost sending him to the floor. However, when his vision is granted again, he sees something that makes his stomach drop to the floor.

Three Psyche-Locks over both Ruth and Howard.

" _Oh…ok! This is something I have to deal with now!"_

The attorney shakes his head. _"Did they activate because Ruth said they had no motive or because she said they didn't kill anyone? Or, worse, both…"_

Phoenix has no more time to ponder on this, however, as Ruth immediately snaps her fingers; as in realization of an idea.

"Ah! I just realized, Mr. Wright! You should talk to Mr. Lodgings! Maybe he knows a thing or two about the case."

"Mr. Lodgings?"

"He's the owner of the hotel. He's always here so you can talk to him now, if you want!"

"But I…"

Ruth gets up from behind the reception desk, now beaming with a certain eagerness. "If you go down that way you should see a slightly dark corridor," she points towards the Second Hotel Center. "Just go down that way and you should see the doors to his office. I'll let him know you're coming!"

Ruth hastily starts pushing the team towards that direction, the two instinctively putting up a bit of a resistance to it. A few people nearby look on at the scene, confused expressions across all of them.

"M-Ms. Vice!" Maya calls out to her, her seriousness from earlier completely eradicated.

"And if just meeting him gives you the hollow mood of despair, trust me, you'll get used to that."

" _W-what?"_

Finally, with a half-forceful shove, Wright and Fey are pushed further towards the direction of the Second Hotel Center, stumbling along the way. They look back and see Ruth waving a good-bye before settling back down into her desk's chair.

"C-come on, Maya. I suppose we can see what 'Mr. Lodgings' has to say."

As they follow the path Ruth directed them, Phoenix speaks up again.

"What was that stunt you pulled earlier?"

The young assistant takes a second or two to answer but immediately flashes a mischievous grin. "What stunt?"

Phoenix squints his eyes in disappointment.

"Hey, you should be thanking me, Nick," the medium immediately pouts. "After all, you got a little bit of information because of it."

"Hm? What do you mean by that?"

"The Psyche-Locks," she clarifies. "You saw one of them with Psyche-Locks, didn't you? I could tell by the look on your face."

" _Try 'I saw them both with Psyche-Locks.'"_

After heading down a corridor – which Phoenix doesn't agree is only "slightly" dark as Ruth had described – the team come face to face with a large door. With no name plate across it or any type of implication of this being an owner's office, Phoenix wonders if they took a wrong turn of sorts and this posh hotel had another "slightly" dark hallway leading to a door.

Nonetheless, Phoenix knocks to make sure. From the other side, they can barely hear a "Come in." The two wonder for a second if they imagined hearing that. Phoenix tries the knob and find the door unlocked. With a hesitant shrug, the two push open the door.

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 1:33 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lodgings' Office**

" _Oh, so that's what she meant by the hollow mood of despair."_

When Wright first walks into the office, he nearly stumbles in surprise. Compared to the colorful outside, the whole room, at first, seems to be pure black-and-white. The walls, the floor, the furniture… Phoenix blinks a couple times to correct his vision.

After shaking his head, Phoenix finds that doing so doesn't improve much.

The color scheme of the room makes the Detention Center look like a day at the circus. The walls are still a monochrome gray color even after Wright's attempt at correcting his sight. The floor is uninspired and lifeless in its color scheme as well. What doesn't help make the team's sight in black-and-white is a bright light coming from in front of them, shining towards the office door. _"I feel like I'm in a noir film…"_

What isn't a depressing variation of gray and black still doesn't make Phoenix feel any better. Along the walls are framed pictures of men and women dressed in standard black suits, some of their ties offering a different color. Against both walls of the room are piles of boxes, yet the arrangement of them still in a tidy order. In fact, what Phoenix can tell is junk waiting to be thrown out is also sitting neatly against or near the cardboard containers.

Wright looks forward and find himself squinting his eyes again. When his sight finally adjusts to the light, he can see the bright light is coming out of a window. The moon shines beautifully in the sky on this cloudy night.

" _Wait a minute. It wasn't cloudy when we came in here. And it was day…"_

Situated in front of the window is a desk, the brown variant offering another color variety to the room. The defense team, however, pays no mind to any of the items scattered around the desk. But, rather, to the camera monitors towering above the desk. _"Is he making an attempt to have them reach the ceiling or what?"_

"Welcome, Mr. Wright. I have been told you'd be coming."

A figure stands up behind the desk, catching the team's attention. The two narrow their eyes to get a glimpse of the man, the light through the window making it hard to see some features. When the man steps from behind the desk, however, they finally get a good look.

Phoenix and Maya now know where Howard learned his straight posture from as the team immediately straighten their backs when they get a good look at Lodgings. They don't know if it's for the same reason they did so with Howard or as a sign of fear and sudden respect. Still, Lodgings remains taller than them, his tired eyes casting down an intimidating glare.

Struggling to maintain eye contact, Phoenix can only see from his peripheral that the hotelier dons a red tie, the attorney assuming the rest of his suit to be normal.

"Y-yes…" Phoenix speaks up, feeling his voice already stumbling due to fear. He takes a breath to gain his composure. "I'm Phoenix Wright and this is my assistant Maya Fey…"

Fey gives a meek and frightened wave.

"It is a pleasure," Lodgings speaks up again. "My name is Daniel Lodgings. As you have been told, I am the owner of this establishment."

"R-right…"

Suddenly, the only exchange in the vast room is silence. Phoenix clears his throat before speaking again but opens his mouth to find no words. Fey speaks in his stead.

"T-this is a gorgeous hotel, Mr. Lodgings!"

"Y-yes! I gotta say, I'm amazed how gorgeous this building is."

Daniel narrows his eyes at the team, the two stiffening up in response. They can't tell what the intent of the stare is but they know conclusively it's frightening. The hotelier lets out a deep sigh before answering, the chilling stare softening.

"I thank you. It took many years to have my vision brought to reality. And I am glad to see my labor blossoming much fruit."

The defense team feel their stomachs drop when the previous stare returns.

"But you're not too interested in that, are you, Mr. Wright? I should have you know that, over the years, I've become less and less fond of small talk. So, if you could state your business."

"R-right. I'm sure you're aware of the murder incident that occurred recently?"

Lodgings shuts his eyes, looking as if he's seconds from shouting at Wright. Instead, Daniel pulls out a small booklet sticking out from his breast pocket, the Wright surprised at not seeing it earlier. Daniel open the small booklet and quickly flips through the pages. Meanwhile, the team watch in confusion and slight amazement, observing the title of the booklet to be: _So, You Have Anger Issues: A Guide to Anger Management._

Suddenly, the book shuts closed, Lodgings putting it back to its previous place. The terrifying glare returns from Lodgings as he takes an even deeper breath.

"No…I'm afraid I was not aware," he speaks up, his voice somehow even more monotone and depressed. "Somehow, the news of this hotel, which we have established I am its owner, being the center of a murder case evaded my knowledge, making this new information at the moment."

Daniel stomps his foot hard on the tile floor, the booming sound echoing throughout the room and making Wright wish he has a change of pants. The hotelier takes another deep sigh before speaking again.

"I ask you to get to the point, Mr. Wright. You must understand that I am a busy man and have no time for small talk. So…please."

"Y-yes, of course, sorry!"

"I don't want apologies, Mr. Wright, I just want your questions."

"R-right. Then, let me just ask: Did you see anything on the night of the crime? Anything suspicious or even the murder itself?"

"Ah. Well, I'm afraid my answer may not be of much help to you in any way, Mr. Wright. But I shall give you the same explanation I gave the police. Please observe the monitors behind me."

Daniel takes a step or two to the right to not be entirely in the way.

"Each monitor connects to either two or three cameras, these cameras placed plentifully around the hotel. There is even one in this very room."

"But lemme guess," Maya speaks up, not sounding hopeful. "You don't have any footage of the murder."

"Correct, Ms. Fey," Daniel nods. "Firstly, the law restricts me from placing cameras in areas that would invade my guests' privacy. But please also remember the thunderstorm that night that left my hotel in darkness. Even if I did have cameras placed in the hotel rooms, I cannot control the weather."

"But you can control your power situation, can't you?" Phoenix inquires. "Don't hotels usually come with a backup generator when the main power fails, like on the night of the murder?"

"They do. But, as you know, the power still went out."

"And you couldn't get anyone out to fix the generators until the next morning, could you?"

"Indeed. And I stayed in my office for the entirety of the night continuing my work. My employees can attest to that."

" _The entire night? That doesn't sound too comfortable. Anyways, I should probably jot this down."_

 _Daniel's Cameras added to the Court Record_

 _Generators added to the Court Record_

" _Ugh… this info isn't helping me in terms of Lector, though. Maybe I should try a different question?"_

Lodgings tilts his head, directing an anticipating glare into Wright. Despite looking down in thought, Phoenix feels the stare on him and comes up with a different question.

"Did anything suspicious happen in your office? Did you happen to see anything in here even if you didn't leave until the next day?"

For the first time since the meeting, Daniel turns his head away from the team before giving his answer. Yet, the four Psyche-Locks click in front of Phoenix before the owner could even answer.

"No."

"Is that it?" Wright narrows his eyes.

"What else do I need to say? Nothing else happened in here, I assure you."

"Nothing else? So, you're saying something a couple things happened in here during that night?"

One of Lodgings' eyes noticeably twitches as he hides his face behind his pocketbook once more. After a speedy scroll through several chapters, Daniel reveals his expression to be calm and collected again.

"The power outage. The power outage is the 'else' I'm referring to."

"I see…"

Daniel clears his throat as he makes way back to his desk. "Now, then, I'm afraid I have a lot of work to attend to. I hope you do not mind that I ask you to leave for the time being."

"Of course not."

Lodgings plops back down into his chair. "If you have any further questions, please direct them to any of my employees. Anything you cannot ask them; please wait for a time when I'll be available again. It was a pleasure, Mr. Wright."

"Er… yes…"

Phoenix and Maya wait for any further salutations but are met with none. Deciding their business is done here, they promptly leave the office. _"I need another environment. Perhaps one that doesn't want me to go depressingly eat a tub of ice cream…"_

* * *

"Well, where to next?"

"I dunno," Maya sighs, sounding frustrated at a lack of a plan.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go back to the victim's room. I'm pretty sure we found everything we could there."

"Dito for Lector's room."

Wright looks around at the dark hallway, immediately feeling an unease. He gets a head start of speed walking from the unnerving space, Maya following as close behind as she could. When back into the Second Hotel Center, the two stand there to continue their thinking.

Suddenly, Maya claps her hands together, an idea striking her.

"I know! Ruth mans the front desk, right? Maybe Lector went somewhere around the hotel on the day of the murder and had to ask for directions! This hotel is so big, after all!"

Wright massages his chin in thought. "Not a bad idea but Lector already admitted he was in his room for the entire day."

All excitement is sucked from Fey's face. "Oh, yeah. That's right."

 _Though, maybe there's someone we could track the movements of during that day. Someone just as important…"_

Suddenly, an idea strikes Phoenix as well.

"Perhaps the victim could be a good place to start."

Maya beams up again. "Oh! Good point, Nick! Maybe one of the victim's left some clues that can solve their murder."

" _I'd say that's really hopeful but stranger has happened."_

While in thought, Maya zooms past Phoenix, making her way back to the First Hotel Center. It takes a second or two for Phoenix to register it but he chases after her, struggling to catch up.

Reaching the lobby area once more, Ruth doesn't hide her confused stare as the team comes up running to her desk, slightly out of breath.

"Is something the matter?"

"We…were wondering…" Phoenix gasps, slowly but surely regaining his composure again. "Did any of the victims…go anywhere on the day of the murder?"

"The victims, huh?" Vice echoes, tapping a pen against her chin. She looks down and pulls in front of her a large book of sorts, immediately flipping to a page. "Well, it says here in the reservation list that Carter Fly had a reservation at one of the restaurants on one of the upper floors sometime in the afternoon."

" _One of the restaurants on the- You know what, I'm going to stop questioning this."_

"Then he had another reservation sometime at night… two hours before the murder, actually!"

"R-really?" Maya exclaims, leaning over the desk for a closer look.

"Mhm. But, according to my list, that seems to be… wait! I think I remember that Fly came to my desk sometime on the day of the murder and asked me where the pool area was."

"The pool area? Why there?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that he asked me. And he wasn't really dressed like he was prepared to take a swim, either."

The receptionist takes a glance at one of the nearby clocks.

"Actually… I think it was around this time."

" _Really? In that case, maybe we should look around the pool area for a little bit."_

"How do we get to the pool area?" Maya asks before Phoenix gets the chance.

Ruth points in the direction of the Second Hotel Center. "Just continue straight through there and pass the doors to the Main Ballroom, the bar, and the stairs near the jade elephants. You should see a bunch of glass doors leading to the outside pool."

"Ok, thank you for the- Wait… You said outside pool. Are you implying there's an indoor pool area as well?"

Ruth beams a knowing smile at the both of them. "Why, of course!"

" _Don't 'of course' me!"_

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 1:53 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Sapphire Waters – Outside Pool Area**

A blast of fresh air immediately overwhelms the defense team, as well as the sounds of splashing water. The attorney isn't surprised that the hotel has once again decided to show off.

Phoenix first notices that Ruth describing this as the outside "pool" was a lie specifically for the fact that there were multiple pools all around. The largest one reserved, fittingly, for the center with other smaller pools surrounding it. And the hot tubs certainly weren't forgotten considering the many number of them scattered about as well. Phoenix even notices that there's a Lazy River some distance away from the main pool, a large Pagoda-styled bride stretching over it.

" _I guess it's this large in case of any events. Or maybe even summertime."_

And there still wouldn't be a shortage of seating, Phoenix and Maya figure. The excessive amount of lounge chairs surrounding each separate pool would almost prohibit so. There are even more lounging chairs placed on the pavement the Lazy River bends around.

As Phoenix walks along the area, making sure to watch out for any puddles that could lead to an unfortunate accident, he looks to his right and notices a large building resembling a house. The large glass dome on the roof is also eye-catching, foliage crowding against the panes. _"Is someone living there or?"_

"Wow! Hey, Nick! Look at this pool," Maya exclaims suddenly, snapping Phoenix's attention away.

Paying mind that they're now near the center pool, Phoenix can certainly see the reason for Maya's exclamation. Despite logic taking over seconds after, Phoenix's first impression is that the pool stretched out for miles. Even when he remembers it doesn't, he remarks that it might as well considering the vast circumference of the pool.

After all, such size must be needed for what Wright and Fey guess that, no doubt, many events occur. Special little decorations and amenities are even set for those occasions, such as various colored lights in and outside the pool, multiple small lounging chairs on a little "island" in various spots around the pool, and even a large pavilion with a bar dead center. _"Ok, Lodgings, was the bar really needed?"_

Suddenly, the team hears another splash echo in their ear. They don't pay mind to it until a pleading scream follows it. They immediately rush towards the area where they see excessive splashing, though Phoenix pauses for a brief moment when he notices a camera on the ground. Still, he doesn't pay mind to it long as he grabs the hand of the unfortunate victim and helps her out of the water, inferring the person's sex from the screams.

When the two get a chance to catch their breath, Phoenix finally sees the explanation for the discarded camera.

"Gotta say, that ain't my first rodeo falling in the water this past week," the ginger-afro woman rubs her head, picking up her camera off the ground. She beams a smile to see it unharmed. "These pools, I tell ya! Like they're trying to drag me to heaven too soon!"

"It's been a while, Lotta. Is your camera ok?"

Lotta rubs the lens with a closed fist. "It better be! I paid a couple pretty pennies for this puppy right here. Last sense we met, it was all with that Gatewater business, wasn't it? Lot's happened with me sense then, I tell ya!"

"Really?" Maya inches forward towards her, intrigued. "Like what?"

Lotta readies her mouth for an extensive response but closes it as no thoughts come to her. She looks away in shame. "Er…uh…getting a new camera?"

" _Well, you've been certainly busy."_

"Hey! Don't give me that look! Just 'cause you've been going falling off of burning bridges doesn't make my life any less exciting."

"Oh, you heard about that?"

"How couldn't I?" Hart snarkily adds. "I'm a reporter, remember? Plus, it was all over the news."

" _Makes sense."_

"And I'm assuming you folks are here because of that Lector feller, huh?"

"Yeah. Are you? It seems everywhere you are, you're looking for a scoop."

"You can read me like an open book, huh?" The reporter chuckles. Lotta scratches the back of her neck, looking off to the side. "But, to answer your question, yes and no."

"Yes and no?"

"I mean, sure, I snuck past the guards when they weren't looking and took some pictures of important areas."

" _Good going on admitting a crime to a person in the law but go on."_

"But why I'm really here is for a scoop even spicier than my uncle's chili!" She declares as she scans the area with her camera, his finger itching to press its trigger. "A little birdie provided me some juicy stuff 'bout a week ago."

"Oh?" Phoenix raises his brow. "That being?"

"You want me to tell you? And ruin my big scoop?" She immediately rebuts, the team stepping back in surprise.

Lotta stares closely at the team for a good amount of time, Phoenix and Maya immediately feeling uncomfortable under the gaze. Wright could tell she's considering something and that she's helping her thinking by "examining" them, yet he can't tell what.

"Well," she finally breaths out. "I can tell you a little bit about what I heard. 'Sides, I've known you two long enough to trust you won't tell anyone else this."

" _That depends on what it is, first."_

Hart's head quickly scans the area, watching for any potential eavesdroppers. She leans closer to Phoenix and Maya and urges them to lean closer as well.

"About a week ago, I heard something real strange's gonna happen here. The hotel, I mean."

"W-what?" The defense team yelp in unison. They quickly realize that was a bad thing to do as Lotta loudly shushes them.

"Keep yer voices down!" She grits through her teeth. "I already shouldn't be telling y'all and now you gonna announce this to the whole countryside?"

"You're really secretive about this, huh?" Maya notes, her voice pitch lowered to Lotta's.

Hart drops her head in shame. "Well, truth is, I haven't been digging up anything interesting in the last few months. I've been kinda more bummed out than a one-car funeral."

Phoenix finds his collar being suddenly snatched up by Lotta, pure fury emanating from her. His abrupt burst of fear forbids him to swallow the lump in his throat.

"I ain't gonna let you mess it up for me, ya hear? So, keep it down or your trap shut!"

"Ok, ok!" He pleadingly concedes. _"Aren't you drawing a lot more attention doing this, though?"_

Letting go of him, she continues. "Like I was saying, I got some word that some shady dealings were going to be happening around these parts. I've been scoping out this hotel for the past week and I got nothing yet!"

"Really? Nothing?"

Lotta is silent immediately after the question. Phoenix can almost feel his Magatama starting to glow. She takes a glance around the area once more before answering.

"Ok, maybe I saw one thing that looked odder than a cow in a chicken coop. But, to be honest, I haven't seen much come of it so I'm not too sure if it's enough for a scoop."

" _O-oh. The actual truth, huh? I'm proud of you, Lotta."_

"Well, what did you see?" Maya excitedly asks.

"Didn't I tell you I'm trying to get a good scoop? It being you two or not, that info's staying with me!"

" _Aaand I take back my previous comment."_

"You two can give me that disappointed look all that you want, I ain't opening my yap, ya hear?"

Phoenix and Maya grunt to themselves, finding their investigation at a temporary crossroad. Wright thinks on how they can get around this roadblock, ignoring whatever conversation Maya struck up with Lotta, but no answer strikes him for some time.

Until he thinks on both Lotta and Ruth's words in the past hour. _"Been here for the last week, huh?"_

Phoenix reaches in his inner suit's pocket and fishes out the folder holding the autopsies. Fishing out the desired one, he strikes up a question.

"So, Lotta. You said you've been here for the past week."

The two women stop their small talk and Lotta addresses the attorney. "Yes? Why you ask?"

"And you said you saw something suspicious, didn't you? That suspicious thing you saw...you wouldn't happen to remember what they look like, do you?"

Hart immediately tenses, her defensiveness flaring up again. Wright's glad he finds himself on the right track. "H-hey now!" She immediately barks. "I told you, I'm not speaking a word!"

Suddenly, Phoenix flashes Carter Fly's autopsy report in front of her face, his picture stapled to one of the corners.

"Did you ever see this person doing something you thought suspicious?"

The very next moment, Phoenix feels the paper being pulled down from open view so fast, he thought Lotta may have cut herself. She loudly shushes the lawyer.

"What are ya trying to do? Ruin my scoop, huh?"

Suddenly, those words dawn on Lotta, the realization soon setting in on her expression. Finally, she drops her head in shame.

"Ok, fine, I'll tell you, since you seem to know a little bit what I saw. But don't go blabbing about this to anyone, alright?"

" _That still depends."_

"Alright, so listen up," she leans in. "Some days ago, I was snapping pictures around here, like I was doing ever since I got here. But, this time, I saw two fellers walk up to… either two of those chairs around there."

Phoenix and Maya look towards the direction she's pointing, the chairs she's detailing being ones near one of the smaller pools.

"One of the men, the one you showed me a picture of, had some kind of suitcase with them. And the other didn't sit well with me, either. He was bald and had a bunch of spots on his head. Oh! And there was a large slash on his head, too!"

" _Why does that sound a bit familiar?"_

"I got a bit suspicious of them so I watched them for a while. Even have a picture of them in this here camera."

"What about them that made you concerned about them?" Maya tilts her head, wondering.

"Those two made me feel mighty suspicious, you hear?" Lotta explains. "My folks told me to always trust my gut, so when I saw those two men, every single hair on my body told me to keep a close eye on him!"

"So, what happened?" Phoenix questions. "You saw them, they struck you as odd, you started to watch them, and then?"

Lotta looks off into another direction, abashed. As if ashamed of the next part of her tale. "They just sat there for a while, that's the thing."

" _Real exciting follow-up."_

"They just sat there, without a word to each other, and then they both left a few minutes later."

"Come on…" Fey whines. "That can't be it, can it?"

"Hold yer horses now, there's one more thing! The only other thing I remember them doing when they left is that the feller you showed me earlier didn't leave with his suitcase. The other man did."

"Really?"

"Mhm," she states confidently. "And you know what that means, huh?"

"From what it sounds like… there was some kind of secret trade that happened here at this pool?"

"And now you see why I'm trying to keep this secret, huh? This is big!" She manages to shout under her breath.

"Hold on. You said earlier that this wasn't enough for a scoop," Maya squints her eyes at the reporter.

"I wasn't planning to say anything about that so why would I reveal what I was going to do with it?" Hart retaliates before she drops her arms in disappointment. "But then you just went on and forced my hand, anyways."

" _What exactly did the victim do to be messing around with secret trades like that? I know he ran some kind of loaning company but… that's too weird."_

"So," Lotta snaps Phoenix from his thinking. "How'd you come to know that man you showed me earlier? He important to the case?"

"Y-yeah. He's one of the victims, actually."

"What in tarnation!" Lotta immediately bellows, the scream burrowing deep into the defense team's and anyone in a five-mile radius's ears. The woman immediately clasps her hands over her mouth, bringing down her pitch. "What in tarnation?" She repeats quieter.

After making sure his ears are still working, Phoenix answers yes.

"I expected a lot of bad things to come because of him but I didn't go an expect him to get himself killed! And by your client, no less!"

"Lector didn't do it," Phoenix narrows his eyes. "He's been framed, I know that much. That's why we're here."

"Nonetheless, this scoop of mine's gonna be even bigger now! _Victim of Murder Case Turns out to be a Criminal!_ Or something like that."

"R-right. Just one more question, Lotta. Did you see where either of those two went after their little trade deal?"

Lotta is brought back, from her thoughts of wonder and fame for her one headline, to reality as she ponders on Phoenix's question. "I remember your victim went back to the hotel, that's for sure. And the other feller?"

She points towards the house structure Phoenix noted earlier.

"He went in there."

"What is that place, anyways?" Maya wonders vocally.

"I went in there once and it seems to be some kind of physical exercise center or something."

" _An entire building for a gym area?"_

After expressing their gratitude for her cooperation, Phoenix and Maya go to further investigate the building.

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 2:10 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Emerald Fitness – Physical Fitness Area**

Phoenix and Maya think that Lotta was mistaken when she told them this is some sort of physical fitness area. After all, the foyer area didn't allude to the fact and the small gym to the right of them looked more like a personal gym in a millionaire's villa rather than for the general public.

" _But, of course, that's not the case,"_ Phoenix shakes his head after a nearby employee tells them otherwise.

The entrance to the fitness area did indeed look as if it is the foyer of a mansion. If it isn't for the information counter just up ahead and the informative employees walking around, the defense team couldn't be told otherwise.

" _And an area of this hotel wouldn't be complete if there wasn't a giant window somewhere,"_ Phoenix remarks as the sun beams down on him through the skylight.

The team waste no more time enjoying the scenery and resume their business here. The two of them walk up to the information desk, an employee there ready to help.

"A bald man with spots on his head?" The woman echoes once Phoenix describes their person in question. "And a large slash, huh? Oh! I remember seeing a man looking similar to what you're saying a few days ago."

"You did?" Maya nearly jumps over the counter. The female employee jumps back in surprise and fear but continues.

"Y-yes! He had a suitcase with him. That's all I remember, really."

"Nothing else? Really?" Phoenix prods, sounding let down. "Do you know why he was even here?"

The employee cocks her head. "I'm not sure if I can give that out, sir. Are you with the police or something? Is this man in trouble?"

"Well… we're not sure. We're here on Lector's behalf, that's all."

"Oh, Lloyd Lector? The man who's on trial right now? Are you his attorney?"

" _Hey, look at that, the first person here that hasn't recognized me."_

The worker thinks on her next answer when Wright answers with a nod. "Well, he put his suitcase in a locker, I remember that too. I cannot tell you which one, though. Besides, he left with it anyways."

As they both hide their reactions to this disappointing news, Phoenix continues. "That's fine. But where did he go in here?"

"If I remember correctly, he had an appointment at the spa."

"The spa?"

"Yes, sir! If you go to the second floor and locate the door that's labeled "Spa" you'll be led up there."

The pair offer their thanks and follow the employee's directions.

"So, what now? What are we going to look for here?"

"I dunno. We've been lucky enough to meet some people that saw Carter on the day of the murder. Maybe someone saw him here too?"

When the two reach their destination, they're surprised to find the door leading to more steps, but they're first overwhelmed with the smell and sound of fresh, running water. They waste no time going up the steps.

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 2:10 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Emerald Fitness – Physical Fitness Area**

 **Spa**

When they make it up, their breaths are taken away.

Phoenix and Maya's first thought is that they took a wrong turn and headed to another plane of existence, for all they knew, as the scenery certainly didn't look like it belongs at first. _"Or maybe I fell down the stairs on the way up and this is the afterlife?"_

Then, suddenly, he feels a tight pinch on his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"You were probably thinking you were dreaming or something, right? I just wanted to confirm you weren't."

"Ok, but did you have to do it so hard?" Phoenix complains, rubbing the sore spot.

Nonetheless, Phoenix got his answer that he is still in this reality. However, the scenery, which he could only describe as trying to imitate a forest waterfall, stuns him to a degree he can't describe.

The spa area, of course, holds other things that a spa needs: hot tubs, lounging pools, and a constant steam floating around the vicinity – and this being only what Phoenix can see from here. But the amount of foliage crowding the room and against the glass roof dome could convince anyone otherwise.

Phoenix shakes his head, reminding himself not to be distracted. He goes deeper into the plant maze, Maya following close behind once she snaps out of her trance.

"Does this ever end?" Phoenix starts to vocalize as they continue to traverse the room, lack of an end in sight.

"It is pretty big," Maya adds. "To bad there doesn't seem to be anyone here."

"Hello? Is… somebody there?"

"I stand corrected," she mutters to herself.

As they push some vines away, the two are then met with the end of the spa room. Waiting there is a large mineral bath with – what else – two waterfalls at its sides. _"And a wallpaper of a cloudless sky behind it? Someone was trying way to hard here."_

But the thing to catch their primary attention is the dark-skinned man sitting Sukhasana position atop a rock in the middle of the water.

"H-hello?" Phoenix says. He can't tell if he said it as a way to greet the man or to catch his attention; considering the man is looking up at the glass ceiling, bathing in the sun rays casting down on him. His eyes are completely closed.

Yet, Phoenix's greeting catches the man's attention as he looks in the direction of the team, still not opening his eyes. "Ah, hello. I thought I heard someone. Welcome."

The man's voice is like silk. Completely detached from any worry or stress, almost god-like. _"Is he like a hippie or something?"_

"I didn't know anyone was here. It was so quiet here!" Fey exclaims.

"Well, I'm commonly in here to meditate, you see? That's why I'm so quiet."

"Oh. We didn't mean to disturb you."

The man chuckles to himself. "No, it's fine, it's fine. I like striking up a conversation with whoever comes in here. It would be selfish of me to claim this entire area."

He chuckles again as his hand dips into the water and runs it through his long, brown and smooth hair, droplets spilling on his bright white shirt and yoga pants. Phoenix and Maya can only stare in awkwardness and confusion as the man adjusts his sandals, before turning to them.

"Are you still there?"

"Y-yes."

"Ah. Perhaps I should introduce myself, then. My name is James Quill. And who would you two be?"

"I'm Phoenix Wright and this is-"

"Maya Fey, his assistant," she interjects.

James raises his brows. "Phoenix Wright? Why, I didn't know I was in the room with such an upstanding person, really."

"O-oh, thank you. That's not needed, really."

"Nonsense. I've observed some of your cases in the past and it is impressive how you managed your way out the corners you were pushed in."

"T-thank you," Phoenix scratches the back of his neck, abashed.

"Well, since you seem to know quite a bit about us," Maya jumps in. "Tell us something more about you."

"Oh, me? Ah, Ms. Fey, there's nothing really special about me, I'm afraid. I just spend most of my days letting life pass by me. I do come here daily, always around this time, and leave whenever I wish to. The waterfalls are really calming, you see?"

"Don't you need an appointment to get in here? And you have to pay for those, don't you?"

Quill rubs his chin in thought. "That is right. But, you see, I'm good friends with the owner here and he allows me to stay here as long and often as I want with no charge."

"Wait, what?" The defense team exclaim, making sure they heard that right. James just simply nods his head. _"So, you're buddy buddy with the owner and you don't think that's something special about you?"_

"He's truly a good man. A real nice person when you get to know him, I'll tell you."

" _Yeah, sure. But you'd have to switch the definitions of nice and downright terrifying to make sense there."_

"He has… changed a bit, in recent years, I will admit," James adds grimly. It's the first time he frowns in this conversation, looking away from the team. But it slightly disappears as he looks back at them. "But he's still a good man, I tell you."

Quill looks back up at the showering light once more, his eyes still remaining welded shut. His smile reappears as well as the pair stand there. They think on another topic they can start or wait for James to speak again. Suddenly, the latter happens as James turns to them, scooping up some water.

"Anyways, I understand a series of murders have happened recently, hasn't it? And there's been an arrest. I imagine you're here at this hotel, Mr. Wright, on his behalf?"

"That's correct," Phoenix mutters just loud enough as he watches James pour the handful of water back into the mineral bath.

"Are you here to ask me some questions, then?"

"Yes."

"Then please, Mr. Wright, ask as many as you like. I will try to be as helpful as I can."

"Well… let me start with this. We've been told that a bald man with a slash on his head came in here on the day of the crime. He was seen with one of the victims, so he may be important to the case. Have you seen a man like this?"

James looks back up at the glass ceiling again, massaging his chin. However, just as quickly, he comes back with an answer of: "No, I'm afraid I haven't."

"R-really? But didn't you say you come here daily?"

"I did, Mr. Wright. However, I do not remember such a description," he explains, giving a deep apologetic bow. "I sincerely apologize."

"Well, did you see anything on the day of the murder?" Maya buts in with her question.

"Oh, I'm sorry to say, Ms. Fey, but I must answer no to that as well. That entire night, I stayed here and meditated as the calming storm blew over."

" _Many words I'd describe that storm with but calming is definitely not on that list."_

"Are you sure…?" The medium tries to assure, not hiding the disappointment in her voice.

"I really do apologize to the both of you but I haven't seen much that can help your case."

" _Well, damn, that lead was kinda useless…"_

"I am happy to answer any other questions. I hope I can be helpful this time," he comments, adding a chuckle.

"No, I think that's all our questions. But thank you for your time, Mr. Quill."

Phoenix can't lie, he's pretty disappointed with the dead end as well. James politely nods his head as he starts to slowly run a hand through his hair.

"It's been my pleasure, Mr. Wright and Fey. I suppose I shall see you tomorrow, then?"

"Hm? What do you mean? Are you a witness?"

"Hm? Oh, no no no, that's not the case. I just wanted to observe from the gallery, that's all."

"Oh, I see."

The defense team offer their goodbyes, making their way back to the entrance and heading back down the stairs.


	9. The Redding Brothers

**(AN: Greetings! I'm glad, and I thank you, for taking some time to read my story. If you're a newcomer, then welcome, and if you're a long-time reader, welcome back!I should note that Christian and Harry are the last people to be introduced. No more new characters after this! (Now time to actually do something with the previous ones, eh?) Thank you once more and have a nice day!)**

* * *

After leaving the Emerald Fitness building, Wright and Fey make their way back at the front desk. Luckily, Ruth is still present. Unluckily, however, she's faced with a line of customers. _"Lodgings just leaves her to fend this off alone? Great working conditions."_

Almost ten minutes of waiting later and the defense team make it to the front desk, asking Ruth for directions to one of the restaurants she mentioned Carter visited previously.

"Well, I'm sorry to say, Mr. Wright, but you actually passed it getting back over here."

" _Because of course we did."_

The team offers up their thanks and follows the receptionist's directions.

 **March 11, 2019 2:43 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Ballroom Floor**

The first surprise to await the defense team when arriving at the floor is the change in design, specifically regarding the floor. In every other place the two have been, with the exception of the hotel rooms, some spotless tile played a factor. Yet now, carpet aligns the whole floor. However, a look at the beautiful carpet pattern clearly shows no standards have been lowered.

"Hey, Nick. Look!"

Maya rushes over to the glass banister facing the steps, Phoenix slowly walking over there. In the dead center of the floor lies a banister leading directly downstairs with a smaller skylight above the drop.

While Maya decides to gaze on at the view, Phoenix takes a glance around the area. He figures that people must come up here for a quick rest, as well, considering the number of lavish chairs around the area. He also notices that every room seems to be in the middle of a conference of some sort. _"They're sure hosting a lot of these conferences, huh?"_ Phoenix ponders as he sees some sort of banister or sign advertising some kind of lecture or speech. Motivational speakers, cooking classes, car enthusiasts, and even more. There's even a food stand in front of one of the ballrooms. _"Make sure Maya doesn't try to- Wait a minute."_

Near the food table, he notices a woman wearing a distinct purple robe rubbing her hands together, ready to indulge at the table's delicacies. Wright looks to his side and realizes Maya has disappeared.

Before Maya can even get one of the burgers in her hand, Phoenix pulls her away.

"Niiick!"

"Maya, you can't just eat someone's food."

"It's not someone else's food, it's free!"

Wright resists the urge to facepalm. _"You know exactly what I meant."_

Managing to overpower her struggles of trying to dash back to the table, Wright finds the hallway Ruth directed them down and heads to the restaurant.

 **March 11, 2019 2:45 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Upper Level Restaurant**

Phoenix and Maya, while certainly wanting to take in the sight of the gorgeous yet crowded restaurant, are stopped before even making their way into the dining room. A tall waiter calls out to them from the counter and steps in front of them to ensure no means of sneaking by _. "It seems as if you have to adopt Howard's or Lodgings's posture to become an employee to this hotel."_ Phoenix and Maya almost have to crane their necks all the way back to see the man's face.

In actuality, mostly Phoenix is craning his neck, considering Maya is busy looking at one of the menus placed at the entrance.

"Excuse me, sir and madam, do you have a reservation?" The man asks, his worn and old voice revealing his age range.

"Oh, we're not here to eat or anything, sir."

"Hey, Nick, they have burgers here!"

"Like I said, we're not here to eat or anything," Phoenix echoes. _"Though, I'm not sure what kind of high-class restaurant like this serves burgers."_

"Oh? Then, why are the two of you here, sir?"

"Well, I'm representing Mr. Lector regarding the incident a few days ago and I'm here to investigate. A…person of interest came here once, as I've been told."

"Ah, you're his attorney? I see, I see."

The waiter takes a glance behind him and lets out a disappointed "Oh."

"Well, I'm afraid I cannot let you in, still. I would rather not disturb or unsettle any guests, after all. However, if it is a person you are looking for, then I'll be happy to answer any questions you have."

" _Well, that's just as helpful, I suppose."_

Reaching into his suit jacket's pocket and pulls out Carter's autopsy report, giving the waiter a look at his picture stapled to the corner.

"I was told that, sometime in the afternoon, this man came at this restaurant. Did you happen to see him?"

The waiter bends down to get a closer look at the admittedly small picture, squinting his eyes as he tries to see and remember. And then his eyebrows raise as he comes back up.

"Yes, yes, I do remember seeing this man on… I believe the day before the incident."

"Really? What did you see him doing?"

"He was at a table with another man. From what I could assume, they were conducting some sort of business. I didn't try to bother them any further after I served them just some coffee."

"Huh, interesting. Anything else?"

The waiter rubs his chin in thought. "No. Yes… no, no, I believe nothing else occurred."

Yet, the waiter raises a finger as if to say "Wait" when another thought occurs to him.

"Though, there were two other gentlemen at a nearby table who seemed quite bothered by the two men's presence. I couldn't help but notice both of them looking at this person with annoyance and disgust and even left around ten minutes after he arrived."

" _Really? What was up with them?"_

"Hm, I believe those two gentlemen are two hosts to one of the conferences being hosted here," the waiter adds, as he glances at his watch. "Why, I believe the session for today is ending about now."

Phoenix can't help but to get a slight grin on his face, surprised at the convenience. _"Maybe Maya and I can talk to these two and get some better info that way."_

Phoenix thanks the waiter for the helpful info and starts to head out the door.

"Come on, Maya."

Suddenly, he realizes that the medium is missing from the entrance area. Phoenix frantically looks around – especially making sure to take a glance in the dining room – as his confusion continues to grow. _"Where did she-"_

Phoenix hears the waiter's walkie-talkie sound, the man hurriedly grabbing it to listen to the call. While still wondering where she went, Phoenix manages to overhear.

"Y-yes?"

" _Yeah, can you come to the kitchen really quick?"_ A female voice sounds from the other end. _"There's some teen here wearing some… weird garb and she snuck in here and tried to take some of our food."_

" _Hey! Whose garb are you calling weird!"_ Fey shouts a second later.

Wright can only shake his head in disappointment.

 **March 11, 2019 2:51 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Ballroom Floor**

When the defense team arrives back to where they were earlier, they find it certainly more packed than it was when they left it. Phoenix, if he is to guess, sees about thirty to forty more people than before. He looks to his right and sees one of the ballroom doors open; a single word made out of large, gold-colored letter signs above it. _Monet._

" _Were these always named?"_

Phoenix looks at the doors and indeed notices similar letter signs naming all their respective ballrooms. Miro, Morocco, Madrid, Malta… _"A lot of M's, huh?"_

Phoenix notices a smell he's mostly sure wasn't in the air early. _"It smells like the inside of a salon in here."_ He takes a look at the banner near the newly opened ballroom, now curious at the advertised conference.

 _Perm-anent Solutions: A Conference by the Famous Redding Brothers_

" _That explains it. Though, famous Redding Brothers? I must've been living under a rock if I haven't heard of them, then."_

Phoenix reads on, eyes skipping past the picture of the two Redding brothers together, noticing a tagline below.

 _It's a conference to dye for!_

"Oh my gosh…" Phoenix can't help but express his disappointment.

Taking his mind off of that, Phoenix finds himself being bumped by a stranger holding a plastic plate. _"And not a word of excuse me,"_ Phoenix grumbles to himself as he does his best to wipe off the food crumbs on his sleeve. Looking at the crowd, he can't help but notice quite a few people with plates in their hands.

"You know, Maya, considering how you reacted to Kish, I'm surprised you didn't say anything about that… guy…"

Phoenix looks to his side and finds his assistant absent. When he looks to his other side, however, he sees her standing there, holding a burger, with an almost innocent look on her noodle-stuffed face.

As she quickly chews and gulps down the remaining broth noodles, Phoenix shoots her a disappointed glare.

"Look, I didn't get the chance to eat before the trial, okay? Can you at least give me somewhat of a break?"

" _I guess that explains it. I mean, not really, but… kinda?"_

Phoenix searches for and gets the time from a nearby clock.

"I'm assuming this is the conference that waiter was talking about. We should talk to the Reddings while we got the chance, huh?"

Fey almost drops her bowl at the overload of info. "Wait, Nick, hold on. What conference was the waiter talking about? Who're the Reddings? Why do we want to talk to them?"

"If you weren't trying to stuff your face with a burger earlier, I think you'd have a clue."

Maya thinks on this comment a bit before just rolling her eyes. "I think food was more important in that case, after all."

" _Glad to see you have your priorities all straightened out. Oh great, now they have me doing hair puns."_

Without further comment, Phoenix walks into the Monet Ballroom, Maya quickly finishing her bowl to avoid being left behind.

 **March 11, 2019 2:57 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Ballroom Floor**

 **Monet Ballroom**

After the smell of cheap hair products and a sign proudly adorned with a terrible pun, Phoenix expected the look of the conference room to be just as ridiculous. Yet, looking at it, the plain décor's appearance is the direct opposite. Only a couple rows of wide tables with several chairs behind them and, in front of the room, three tables aligned with products, hair care tools, and other miscellaneous things with a projector screen set up as well. The only thing Phoenix notes as further decoration is the curtains at the door, one pair on each side. But he's sure that even that is just something that came packaged with the room.

There's only three people left in the room, anyways, save for the defense team. Wright recognizes two of the remaining people as both of the Reddings, if their picture on the banner was anything to go by. The only other person being a stranger whom the Redding with a brown coat is talking to. Meanwhile, the other is tinkering with something in a corner. Considering the sound of someone strumming a guitar fills the ambience, Phoenix figures that's where the sound is coming from.

Soon, that individual walks off and the brother he was talking to sees the Wright Co. Phoenix and Maya take this as an apt time to talk to him.

"Hello, hello!" Redding greets. "Hm… I don't really remember you sitting in the seats during the conference."

Now closer to the gentleman, Phoenix can get a better gauge on how eccentric this Redding must be. While his clothes might certainly be nothing to bat an eye at – wearing only black jeans and shoes, white button-up, and a brown, plaid suit jacket – Redding's hair is impossibly long. And while long hair may not be something to take a second look at if vertically extended, the long, thick, and brown pompadour extruding from Redding's head may make a passerby stop for a quick second.

"Oh, no, Mr. Redding. We're not here for the conference. We're… uh… why are you staring at us like that?"

Phoenix and Maya start to shift uncomfortably as Redding burrows his gaze into the two, stroking his chin in thought. One of the Wright Co. members are ready to break the uneasy silence but Redding takes the chance from them after glancing at his watch.

"So, I don't have much time to go into great detail, considering my brother and I are about to leave, but what kind of monster would I be if I turned down two people looking for hair advice?

"H-hair advice?" Maya echoes Redding, before he turns to her. Maya starts to feel awkward again as Redding focuses in on her a bit more.

"You, madam, have excellent hair, that is no doubt!"

"T-thank you?" Maya says, unsure what else to say but finding herself blushing slightly.

"However," he nods with a pause, studying her more closely. "I believe you would be even more gorgeous if you let your hair down."

"L-let my hair down?" She grabs some strands of her hair, almost instinctively.

"Yes, of course. Now, I see you are trying to do a special design with your hair with the ponytail and beads at the ends but wearing that style all the time can be detrimental to your hair and even yourself. Your hair can thin or suffer breakage… you might even get headaches, too."

Redding reaches out to grab Maya's hair but pauses upon realizing what he's doing. He offers a bow of his head.

"May I touch your hair for a second?"

Maya finds herself a stumbling mess, her blush a bit more apparent. "Y-yes?"

Redding's fingers comb through a couple strands of her hair for some time before he shuts his eyes in contemplation. "Beautifully smooth but… it seems like the early signs have begun, already."

"You can tell the early signs just by touching it?"

"Of course, ma'am," Redding assures, walking over to one of the tables nearest to the projector screen. "Years of experience must've made me learn something, right?"

Redding walks back to them holding a long purple bottle in his hand.

"Here. Use a little bit of this every day after combing or brushing for the next two weeks. I assure you your hair will go back to the beautiful self that it's been destined to be. No charge. Consider it a gift from me."

"Thank you."

Redding turns to Phoenix. "And you, sir."

"Oh no, I'm good. I rather not have my hair touched," Phoenix puts his hands up, feeling himself taking a step back. _"Especially not so sensually too."_

"Oh, if that would make you uncomfortable, then I'll respect that, then. But your hair is a marvel to behold as well, sir!"

"It is?"

"Of course! The way the hair protrudes behind you exhibits a certain confidence and defiance within you."

Redding takes a closer look at Phoenix after forming his hands into a frame.

"Why, a glance at your face could tell it fits your perfectly!"

"Oh, thank you," Phoenix stutters out while one of his hands go to his hair.

"However, a little addition I will suggest is its color."

"The color?"

Redding nods a few times to be sure. "Yes, the color. Black, while certainly not a bad color, feels like it may pale in comparison to a different, more excitable color. Perhaps a yellow?"

"B-but I'm a lawyer. I can't go into the courtroom with hair like that!"

"Oh, that's nonsense."

Redding quickly strides back to the earlier table and comes back with two more bottles, one a more yellow-ish color and the other a gray color.

"This product…" Redding hands Phoenix the yellow bottle. "Will change your hair color overnight, I swear. Just wash your hair and apply some of this. In twenty-four hours, your hair will be the color you desire!"

Redding thinks on his next point for a second. "Shake once to get a red color, twice to get a yellow color, three times for a green color and…well, all the colors and the needed shakes are on the back. The very last number of shakes even gets you all the colors!"

Phoenix and Maya mouths nearly drop to the floor, surprised at Redding's nonchalant tone. _"This isn't a hair product, it's a magic trick!"_

"And this one…" Redding hands the gray bottle. "This one will replace whatever you put in your hair to get it to behave like that. I notice that a few strands are out of place and this, like all of our products, is all natural. No perms or chemicals, as you know. These are also on the house."

The defense team find themselves taken aback at the last few minutes, unsure how to process it. They just stand there with several free products in their hands thinking back over Redding's advice and, more importantly, how the conversation shifted to such. Redding, confused, looks at the still silent duo.

"Is there a problem?"

"We… we thank you for doing this, for us, Mr. Redding," Phoenix finds the will to speak. "But that's not why we're here, really."

"Oh, of course, I know."

"You do?"

"Of course, Mr. Wright. Don't think for a second I don't recognize your face."

" _Ah, yes, of course. They're not the only celebrities around here, I forgot."_

"But, if you recognized us," Maya interjects. "Why did you immediately go on about our hair?"

"Why wouldn't I? I find hair extremely interesting after all, and couldn't help myself, I suppose."

"But you said we were just looking for some hair advice."

Redding chuckles to himself as he pulls out a brush from his pocket. Effortlessly, the brush passes through his pompadour. _"Why're you even brushing it? Doesn't look like it needs it."_

"I know you're here for the Lector investigation to but sometimes the person doesn't have to speak for their need of hair care to be said, if you know what I mean. Besides, who wouldn't want some hair advice from me? Excuse my cockiness."

"Y-yeah, but…. Well, Mr. Redding, I hope you don't get offended but I don't really know who you are?"

Redding stops his brushing. "Y-you don't?"

Fey nods. "Yeah. I never heard of you, either."

Redding's hands go behind his back as he straightens his posture. "My, that's embarrassing. I suppose there are some corners of the world our name hasn't reached, huh?"

Politely offering his hand, Redding bows to the defense duo.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself, then. My name is Christian Redding."

Phoenix and Maya shake his hand. "I guess there's no need introducing myself, huh?" Phoenix jests.

"Ha-ha, yes, I suppose not," Christian adds before he starts to twirl some of the hair in his pompadour. "But you really haven't heard of me? I'm shocked, to be honest."

"No, we haven't."

"Well…as you can guess, me and my brother are hairstylists. He's over there tinkering with his guitar as usual. We both own and run a hair salon business."

Christian stops twirling his hair with his finger but decides to replace that finger with his hairbrush, twirling strands around as he goes into though momentarily.

"We have multiple locations… around seven or eight. Are you sure you haven't heard of us?"

" _We seem to have really messed up his reality with that revelation, huh?"_

"Anywho, my brother and I run the first location we ever opened. And business has been booming ever since."

"Wow, that's amazing," Maya chirps in.

Redding stops his odd hair twirling and decide to fidget with his brush instead. "Well, I suppose it should be more accurate to say that he runs the main location most of the time."

"Really? Why's that?"

"It's just… often I'm commissioned by pretty big names to personally style their hair. I mean, this week I have four or five appointments I need to go to. So, my brother is at the shop with the other stylists, mostly. You should come by sometime. I'll see to it you won't leave disappointed."

" _Thank you but no thank you. It'll take being disbarred for me to consider someone touching my hair."_

Phoenix takes a look at Maya, the medium nearly hooked on every word with thoughts, no doubt, filled with fantasies of having extravagant hair. _"Can't say the same for Maya, though."_

"But that's enough small talk. I'm sure you have some questions to ask me, Mr. Wright?"

"As a matter of a fact, I do."

"Oh, oh, oh! Wait, may I try to guess what you're about to ask?"

The defense team's brows uneven at the request but Phoenix lets Christian go ahead. Redding nods for a second or two before deducting.

"You, Mr. Wright, would say 'Are you, in some way, involved with this case?' To which I would say 'What do you mean?' To which you would ask again 'Did you witness the murders, perhaps?' To which I would say 'Yes, I did. I'm actually a witness for the prosecution.' Am I sorta right there?"

" _W-well… that wasn't all my questions! S-so…take that!"_

"Wait!" Maya interjects. "Are you expecting us to say something like 'Oh? What did you see?' And then you would say 'Mr. Edgeworth is requiring me to keep quiet about the details' and then we would be disappointed, right?"

" _You sound a little too happy at the fact!"_

Redding starts to brush his hair again, grinning at her deduction. "Correct. Prosecutor Edgeworth would be mad if I was loose-lipped in this scenario. Besides, I'd ruin the surprise, wouldn't I?"

" _If only this surprise you're promising us was going to be something good."_

Redding stops brushing his hair and takes a look at his watch, leaving the brush dangling in the bushier part of his pompadour. After a slight gasp, Christian pulls it out.

"I'm sorry but I do believe my brother and I have to go now. Speaking of which… Hey, Harry!"

Christian faces away from the defense duo when he shouts to his brother in the corner, still playing and tinkering with his guitar. Though, his brother's call makes him look up for a quick second.

"Let's go, okay? We might as well be there early."

"Just gimme a sec," Harry calls back. "I just got this song in my head… and I need to play it before I forget it, ok?"

Christian shakes his head before he looks back at the defense team, seemingly struck with an idea. "Perhaps you can talk with him about the case, if you want? After all, he seems like he has time."

"We'll talk with him, Redding," Phoenix says. "But before you go, there's just one more question."

"Oh?" Redding cocks his head. "Well, shoot."

"On the day before the murder, is it true you and your brother were eating at the restaurant near here?"

Christian's head leans back as he tries to recall the day. He pulls out his brush again, the tool passing through his hair effortless. He then slowly starts to nod with his answer. "Yes… yes, I believe we were. Why? Do you want me to give an opinion of the place?"

"No. It's just… on that day at around that same time, one of the victims was eating there as well."

"Surprise" sweeps across Christian's face but Wright can immediately tell it's fake and forced. "Why! That's quite a development!"

"Why're you so surprised?" Phoenix asks, Christian taking a step back in, this time, actual shock. "I was told you were and your brother were stealing glances at him your entire dinner. You even left earlier out of what looked like disgust, as I've been told."

Suddenly, Christian's brush stops flowing through his pompadour. Christian pulls on it a bit but to no immediately avail. He keeps trying to brush through the kink as a worried expression seeps onto his face. "Y-yes… I suppose that did happen."

Phoenix can already feel his Magatama glowing. "I don't think anyone would be so insulted at someone's presence… unless they had some kind of history, wouldn't you agree?"

"I could, yes…"

"So, my question is: Did you know the victim prior to this incident?"

Redding tries even harder at the kink. "W-well… you see, there's many reasons why I could've been so insulted at the victim's presence."

One Psyche-Lock.

"I mean… perhaps the person who told you that grossly misunderstood the situation, you know?"

Two Psyche-Locks.

"What I'm saying is that… no. I did not know any of the victims before the murders happened."

And the final one clicks into place, Phoenix staring at them in disappointment.

"Anyways, I sh-should be going. When you go talk to Harry, please do tell him I'll be waiting for him in the lobby or in the car, okay? Okthankyoubye."

And with that, the panicked Christian rushes out the room.

"So… did you see some Psyche-Locks, Nick?" Maya asks.

"Three again."

"We're sure getting a lot of those this case, huh?"

" _Yeah… too many for comfort."_

Phoenix and Maya walk over to Harry, the light strumming of a guitar getting even louder. When they finally get close up to him – Harry not noticing them since his eyes are closed – Phoenix can already predict how insane this next conversation is going to be.

Like with Christian, one of the most noticeable things about Harry is his hair. Without even paying mind to the messy "punk rocker" look, the hair color is a green so bright it could make the room's lights' envious.

But the bright green doesn't stop at the hair. A bright green jacket and pants also adorn Harry. The only normally colored attire on him is his wrinkled white button-up and black shoes.

Phoenix and Maya can also now see the very source of the guitar noises filling the room since the moment they walked in. While the color green still is painted across the electric guitar, it's not a bright green but of a darker shade. It seems the green had been gracious to the guitar, leaving only two points of the instrument free of the color.

The Wright Co. continue to stand there, waiting for Harry to notice them, as the Redding brother nods his head with a grin, his mind obviously on something related to the guitar. _"You're still trying to play that song stuck in your head?"_

Finally, tired of waiting, Phoenix decides to speak up.

"Excuse me, Mr.-"

And, without a hint or a warning, Harry jumps up and immediately begins to play a rift on the guitar. Phoenix and Maya can't decide whether to jump back or quickly cover their ears first but they still find themselves doing both seconds later. Harry doesn't seem to care or even notice as he keeps playing on. Sweet relief for the two does eventually come a very short while later.

"Woo! Sorry about that but I just felt the rhythm in me, you know?"

" _That's good and all but can you tell that rhythm in you to keep it down a bit?"_

"Now then… I couldn't help but overhear you and Christian's convo earlier. You're that Lector dude's lawyer, right?"

"That's right," Phoenix confirms as he forces out a few yawns to get the muffled feeling out of his ears. "And you're… Harry?"

Harry looks back down at his guitar and resumes some light strumming. "Harry Redding, younger of the two famous Redding brothers. Nice to meet you, Wright and…?"

"Maya Fey," the medium answers. Harry just answers by nodding, just playing a tune on his guitar. "You really like that guitar, huh?"

"You kidding?" Harry jumps up only to get a slightly panicked look on his face appearing as soon as he does. He looks off to the side, embarrassed, as he fumbles with his hair. "I-I mean, yeah, of course, I do."

" _What was that about?"_

"Hell, I still remember my first guitar when I was younger. I've gone through that and… fifty others, of course. And now I'm here and got about twenty others at home."

"Twenty others?"

"Of course. But this one here is my favorite, you know, so I carry this one with me more often."

Harry resumes closed-eyes playing of the bright green instrument, Phoenix and Maya considering their next question and waiting for him to pay attention to them again.

"So, I could help but overhear…" Harry speaks up again over his guitar playing. "…my brother giving some hair tips over there before he left."

The Redding brother gives a glance over at the two's hair before closing his eyes again.

"He's about right, what he said. Hope you enjoy those products. My brother and I swear on our not-yet-existing graves that those products are state-of-the-art."

"We can't thank you enough for giving these to us," Maya speaks up, offering a slight appreciative bow.

"No prob. And, if you want, come by the main shop when you get a chance. Christian and I'll fix you up… or just me if he's not there."

"Oh yeah, Christian mentioned that. He's… uh…"

Phoenix drifts off when he notices Harry swirling his guitar in a pinwheel-like motion.

"Well… he's not around often, he said. But he also said you don't really seem to mind."

"Course not!" He loudly exclaims, almost sounding surprised Phoenix even had to ask. "If my brother is getting good business, then that benefits the both of us! No sense of me getting jealous, yeah?"

"Y-yeah… that's true."

"Now," Harry starts to play his guitar again, but his eyes wide open and attention still focused on them. "I also overheard you two wanting to talk to us about the murder incident and whatnot. So, you're talking to me to get my side of the tale, huh?"

"That was what we were hoping, yes," Phoenix nods.

"Well, I can tell you. I already gave my testimony to the police but I won't be testifying. They didn't find it helpful, they said."

"Well, what were you doing during the time of the incident?" Fey asks.

Harry looks up in thought as he continues to strum the same notes he's been playing flawlessly. "I was asleep in our hotel room during the time. That's it."

" _And, what a surprise, I didn't find it helpful either."_

What catches Wright off guard, however, is the two Psyche-Locks that click in front of Harry, Phoenix feeling the sudden dizziness coming again.

" _Oh! Now that info is even more unhelpful…with a mystery connected to boot."_

"Well, thank you for talking to us, anyways," Maya thanks, still sounded disappointed.

"Hey, always glad to help."

The defense team walk out the room with Harry, offering their thanks and goodbyes. Phoenix doesn't fail to take note of Harry heading back to the main hotel through an entryway he didn't notice before.

"So, what now?" Maya inquires.

"Let's go back to the Hotel Center and plan out our next step. Maybe we can talk to Ruth or Howard and see if they know anything else."

The two agree to the plan and take the way they came up here back.

 **March 11, 2019 3:19 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center II**

 _And now…the end is near._

 _And so, I face… the final curtain._

When Phoenix and Maya enter the Second Hotel Center, they weren't certainly expecting to find a vocal performance awaiting them.

The performance is solo, however. That much is obvious if one is to look at the center. The people inhabiting the area are either fast asleep in their chair, reading a book, or are focused on whatever their headphones are playing, be it from a laptop or a phone.

There are two more other people, though, who don't fit ether category. The bartender at the nearby restaurant's bar and the singer.

 _My friend… I'll say it clear._

 _I'll state my case of which I'm certain._

Hunched over the bar counter on a stool is a familiar beige coat and fedora, the voice obviously coming from him. Samuel continues to fiddle with an empty whiskey glass as he stays silent for a few moments.

Phoenix and Maya look at the bartender and see he's not particularly focused on Falcon's singing, only concerned with cleaning the bar area and any glasses. The defense duo step closer, Falcon not even noticing as he begins again.

 _Regrets, I've had a few._

 _But then again, too few to mention…_

Phoenix and Maya can't help but also be impressed at the detective's singing. While it is certainly nothing groundbreaking - sounding worn and disused with age - it certainly shows that with some training, Falcon would be talented in this field.

 _I did what I had to do_

 _And saw it through…_

He pauses as he looks down in thought, slight sorrow seeping onto his face as well.

 _And saw it through without exemption_

 _I planned each charted course_

 _Each careful step along the byway_

 _And more… much more than this_

 _I did it my way_

"That's a nice voice you have there," Phoenix finally decides to speak.

Samuel, startled, shifts his position to face Phoenix. He calms slightly when he sees who it is.

"Oh, Wright… Fey. It's you," he greets with a tip of his hat. He taps his empty glass against the counter twice, this a clear indication for the bartender to refill his glass. Falcon swirls the glass of whiskey around for a little bit before speaking again. "And thank you."

"I didn't know you liked to sing, Sam!" Maya comments.

"Technically true. You see… when I was young, my parents thought I had a real good voice and all so they put me in some singing lessons. They thought… envisioned me, I guess, as a famous singer. You know… like some kind of rock star or like the writer of the song I was just singing."

Samuel chuckles as he takes a sip from the glass.

"In some ways, I thought I was going to become the same as well. Though, as I grew older and older, I showed more interest in law or, specifically, becoming a detective. When they start realizing that, that's when they gave up that vision of me."

"Wow… didn't expect that from you," Phoenix comments, soon regretting the remark at Falcon's reaction.

"What do you mean 'didn't expect that from me?'" Samuel stares daggers into Phoenix. "You've only known me for roughly two days, Wright. Can't judge me that accurately in such time."

" _Okay, okay! Looks like I hit a nerve there."_

"I wonder…" Maya interjects. "Do you ever regret not following that dream? I mean… do you regret you became a detective rather than a singer?"

Falcon takes some time to answer as he swirls around the alcohol in the glass, staring at it intensely and thoughtfully. He finally takes a sip.

"Sometimes. Yeah… sometimes, I do."

Samuel nods his head towards two of the empty seats adjacent to his.

"Come, take a seat. Need to talk to you about something."

The two comply as Samuel takes another sip. As Phoenix takes a seat, he catches a glimpse of a briefcase besides the detective's chair.

The next minute is filled with a stiff silence that Phoenix definitely wants to break, yet neither party willing to do so. After another sip and fiddling with his glass, Samuel shatters the dead air.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"S-something to drink?" Phoenix repeats, before politely putting his hands up in denial, Maya doing the same. "Oh no, I don't drink, really."

"Not old enough yet."

"Well, I can still get you something. Excuse me! Bartender," Samuel calls out loud enough. "Glasses of water for these two, please?"

Thirty seconds later and the glasses of water are awarded to the Wright Co., as well as the return of the silence. Samuel takes another sip of his newly refilled glass.

"You know… Sam," Maya leans forward to get a better look at Falcon, now looking at the girl with curiousness of what's she's going to say. "I've been wondering. I've always seen you wearing gloves. Why is that?"

Falcon puts down the glass and takes a look at his hand. "Oh, that? Well, truth be told…"

Samuel's face gets even more deadpan, almost reminiscent. He grasps his hand with the other as he looks like he digs up a deep history.

"When I was younger… still an amateur detective, I made a mistake during an investigation and burned my hands as a result. Now, I wear these gloves always to rarely remind myself again of the mistakes I've made and progress better as a detective…"

Phoenix and Maya can only stare. Even they themselves don't know conclusively what the stare is for. Shock, confusion, amazement, sorrow… they just can't come with an answer.

At least, they couldn't until Detective Falcon gave a slight chuckle, the look on his face wiped away instantly.

"I'm just kidding, though sounds like it'll be a cool backstory for someone, doesn't it?" Samuel gives a quick grin at seeing the looks on the two's faces that're immediately dropping to disappointment at the joke revelation. "No, truth is, because my job requires me to preserve the integrity of a scene, I figured that every time I'm on the job I have these on."

The defense team give a "Makes sense" nod as Samuel picks up his glass again and takes another sip of the whiskey. Phoenix finally decides to speak up.

"I don't mean to be rude or anything, Detective, but drinking on the job?"

"Yeah!" Maya agrees. "I mean, what if your boss finds out? Wouldn't they get mad?"

Samuel pauses before he takes the next sip, mulling over Maya's question. "Yeah… you're right. He would get pretty mad if he found out."

But the "worried" expression is soon substituted with a slight grin.

"So, let's just hope he doesn't find out, huh?"

And he gulps down the last sallow of the liquor, setting it down on the bar.

" _Well, at least I can tell you're serious at your job."_

"Anyways, I did say I wanted to talk to you about something… something that could be useful for you to know in this case."

"Really?" Phoenix raises a brow, Fey and Wright's extreme interest immediately gained. "About what?"

Samuel leans down to pick up the briefcase beside his chair. He moves his cup aside as he places it on the counter, opening it.

"The victim."

"The victim?" Maya repeats. "You mean, Carter Fly?"

Falcon casts a suspecting look at the medium before nodding and giving a near inaudible "Hm."

"Good guess. Means you and Wright have been doing your homework, huh?"

"Yes," Phoenix confirms. "We've been going around all day looking into Carter's whereabouts on the day of the murder."

"Good. Then my explanation will be a bit shorter," Sam jokes before opening the briefcase all the way, revealing a mess of papers inside. "Then you must know his behavior was a bit suspicious that day, huh?"

"How'd you know?"

The detective pulls out the files and papers and slams it on the counter. "This is how."

Phoenix and Maya only blink in confusion.

"Lemme summarize this for you a bit. So, listen closely."

Samuel reaches for his glass and prepares to raise his hand, indicating another drink. However, he stops and just settles to put it down. After a long and thoughtful stare into the files, he lets out a deep breath.

"You see… Carter Fly used to own a company named the Monarch Corporation."

"The Monarch Corporation?"

"Yeah. It's specialized in loaning and gathering info… similarly to Bluecorp. I know you remember the name."

" _Really, there's no way I can forget."_

"So, it was just a loaning and info gathering company?" Maya pitches in with a question.

"Well, at least that's what the company seems to be to the general public. Don't get me wrong, that is some of their work."

"Right… but only some," Phoenix finishes the point, Samuel nodding in agreement.

"Some years back, about five, the police got some wind the company was possibly unscrupulous. So, they conducted an investigation. I think you already know where I'm going with this."

"Unfortunately, I do."

"You see, when we investigated, we find them doing all sorts of stuff. Almost every crime in the book. Tax evasion, extortion, dealings with the Black Market, larceny in several different degrees."

Samuel takes a pause.

"Torture, assault, blackmailing… murder."

The detective's face further deadpans at the last word, though the look of terror on the defense's face doesn't concern him.

"I should mention that at the time, the one heading the investigation was myself."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"But… why are you telling us all of this, Falcon?" Phoenix asks.

"I believe it'd be helpful to know a bit about everyone involved, even if they're no longer on our plane. Plus, I believe this is fueling Lector's motive."

"Really? I assume you say that because they dealt with loans, right? But didn't the police say he didn't take out any loans with the company?"

Samuel gives Wright a strange look. "I mean, sure, that might be true, but Lector still has motive to commit the crime, mind you."

"Really, how?"

And then Falcon gives them a stare. A stare that's thinking and confused at Wright's answers at the same time. Then, his face reveals he came to a realization.

"Wait… he didn't tell you?"

"Who didn't tell us what?"

"Lector… he didn't tell you all about that?"

Phoenix and Maya brows raise in surprise and fear. They cast each other a look before looking back at Falcon. "Tell us what?" Maya asks worried. "What didn't he tell us?"

"If he hasn't told you yet, then he's not obviously ready to tell you. Though, knowing you, he'll tell you in due time."

"Falcon," Phoenix scoots closer, putting some bass in his voice out of worry and frustration. "If you know something detrimental about my client, then I believe it would be in our best interest to tell me."

"Calm down, won't you?" Falcon barks back. "I told you, he'll spill the beans eventually. He's not going to hide it until the end of this whole shebang, alright? You'll just have to wait some time."

Phoenix gives Falcon a worried look before scooting back in his chair properly.

"Well…" Maya speaks up. "What happened to the investigation into Monarch? I don't think you finished telling us."

"Ah, you're right. Well, you see… it was called off."

"Called off?" Phoenix and Maya express their disbelief simultaneously.

"Yeah. The Chief of Police at the time disbanded it, oddly enough."

"Do you know why?"

Falcon simply shrugs. "No one could guess. It wasn't like there was a lack of evidence or anything like that. And then the police chief at the time just resigned some time later."

" _That is really odd."_

"However," Falcon points to the stack of papers on the counter. "About a month ago, the current chief of police opened it back up and put me in the driver's seat again."

"That's more comforting to hear," Phoenix says, finding himself breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'm sure it is. And, since I'm nearly done with the investigation, you can have this…"

Falcon pushes the files closer to the defense team.

"You're giving us the files?"

"I got copies, don't worry. Educate yourself with it, ok?"

 _Monarch Corp. Investigation Files added to the Court Record_

Phoenix nods as he slides the files in front of him, Maya leaning over for a better look. Before they can open it, they hear a cellphone ring. Both Wright Co. member instinctively know it's not theirs going off of the unfamiliar tune and look at Falcon, who digs his phone out of his pocket.

"Hello," Falcon greets when he answers it. "Oh… Mr. Edgeworth."

" _Edgeworth?"_

Falcon nods answering to whatever is said at the other end of the line. Edgeworth's words are undecipherable to the defense team. Falcon nods as he echoes things such as "They're ready?" and "I see." He finally gives a longer answer.

"Well, I actually can't come to the office right now. I'm… a bit busy."

" _No, you aren't."_

"Wish I can pick them up right now but I'll pick them up-" Falcon takes a glance at the defense team, an idea immediately popping into his head. "Actually, give me a second, sir."

Sam leans over as he puts his hand over the receiving end of the phone.

"Hey, Edgeworth said the second run of the victims' autopsies are ready and-"

"They're finished already?" Maya exclaims, Phoenix flinching at her sudden shouting.

"Yeah, yeah, Edgeworth requested they be really quick with this round. Anyways, I was hoping you could pick them up for me and bring them back here. I can't exactly leave right now but would like to see those as soon as possible."

"Yes, we can do that," Phoenix obliges.

Samuel gives a genuine smile and a nod before getting back to Edgeworth.

"Actually, Mr. Edgeworth, I have Wright and Fey with me right now and they said they'll come pick them up for me. Will that be alright with you?"

There's slight silence before Falcon nods in relief.

"Thank you, sir. That is really helpful."

After a couple more nods and a quick bye, the phone is stuffed back into Falcon's pants pocket. He closes his briefcase and gets up from his seat, stretching some.

"Alright, I believe I should be getting back to the investigation, then. I presume you two are about to head out to get the autopsies now?"

Phoenix nods affirmatively. _"Investigation is kind of at a dead end anyways."_

The defense team and Sam offer their goodbyes before they both go opposite directions. The defense team exit out the hotel front door, their next stop the Prosecutor's Office.


	10. Lodgings' Office

**(AN: Hello! It seems another century has passed and, thus, another chapter shall grace you all! See you next century!**

 **Ha, but all jokes aside, I apologize that this chapter has taken so long, for those following this story. I kind of got into a writing slump along with...other issues and it slowed my progress down a bit. Perhaps the next chapter being another trial portion will make it easier to write? Who knows, but I'll try not to make the wait so long.**

 **Also, my beta reader (a million thanks to him for all his help with this story) noticed a contradiction when reading this chapter and I realized that my fix to this contradiction was a plot point I forgot to write in previous chapters, therefore making the twist here make zero sense. I fixed it now, though...at least I think it was only in Chapter 5 where the mistake was, so that was a bullet dodged. My apologies for that mistake.**

 **Thank you for reading and have a nice day!)**

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 4:00**

 **High Prosecutor's Office**

 **Room 1202**

" _Knock-knock! Knock-knock!"_

Edgeworth looks up from the paperwork on his desk to take a glance at the door, casting a look of confusion at Phoenix.

"Wright…first of all, you're already inside the room. There's no use knocking. Secondly, why are you making knocking noises instead of actually knocking? And, lastly, please close my door."

Phoenix quickly complies with the last request as he lets out a chuckle, Maya snickering as well. "Oh, come on, Edgeworth, can't you take a joke?"

"Of course, I can, Wright," the prosecutor gets up from his desk. "After all, I get a good earful of your defense every trial, don't I?"

"Ouch, low blow there, Edgeworth."

"Now, then. You're here on Detective Falcon's behalf, yes?"

From the bookcase near the window, Miles picks up a folder filled with a thin amount of papers. Turning around – almost knocking over the bulky model of the Steel Samurai gifted to him – he hands the file to the defense team.

"Well, it seems like you were correct in your bluff, Wright. Stir and Fly's deaths were switched around."

"I knew I was correct, Edgeworth," Wright assures as he opens the file. "Though, I wouldn't describe it as a bluff. It was a sound argument."

Phoenix feels glares burrowing into him from the other two in the room. _"Guess they_ _didn't buy that_ ," he shakes his head as he takes out the two papers in the folder.

Page 1/2:

Victim #1 – Carter Fly:

The time of death is estimated to be sometime after 10:20 PM. The victim was shot near the kidney, the wound piercing several vital intestines. The victim's death was not instantaneous. Is theorized that the victim died two or three minutes after being shot. There is a small wound on the victim's forehead, placed closer to his right temple. The victim is covered in scratches and bruises, suggesting a struggle may have occurred.

Page 2/2:

Victim #2 – Bob Stir:

The time of death is estimated to be sometime after 10:20 PM. The victim was stabbed in the head. Due to the depth and position of the wound, the victim's death was instantaneous. The victim has a slight bruise on his left arm, suggesting a struggle may have occurred.

 _Autopsy Reports updated in the Court Record_

"Well, at least we now know the truth," Maya speaks up after reading.

"That is true. Any advancement in this case, no matter how miniscule, is surely helpful," Miles walks back to his desk. "Despite that, I still don't see how confirmation of your 'sound argument' has helped or hindered you in any way."

Phoenix starts to stumble as his eyes avert. "Well…you see…"

He stumbles some more before finally giving up on creating a bluff. He puts the papers back in the folder as he makes way towards the door, offering his thanks before stopping when he notices something.

"Er, Edgeworth? Are we going to get any copies of the new report?"

Edgeworth grins at Phoenix's strange attempt at an exit. "I was about to say; you were in quite a rush. Shame you can't do that in the courtroom when you can't think of a bluff."

" _Honestly, with how ridiculous every trial is, I'm surprised no one has walked out from all the craziness."_

"Regardless, I hadn't the time to make your copies yet but I'll make some now."

The red-clad prosecutor takes two papers – copies of the new reports the team assumes – and strides over to the printer. In just a few seconds, with the copies inside, the machine roars to life, leaving nothing else to do but wait.

"Now, Wright," Edgeworth turns to the team. "I presume your investigation is going well?"

"It's not a train wreck, is all I can say."

"I see. Well, whatever truth you are wishing to find about your client, I hope you find it soon."

"It seems you already found yours, Edgeworth," Maya interjects.

Miles suppresses a chuckle, showing it through a slight smile. "No, I haven't yet found the truth. Though, I have many theories."

"Theories, huh? And what would one of those be exactly?"

Edgeworth folds his arms as he raises a brow. "Why, I believe I'm in no position to share that."

"Aw…come on, Edgeworth," Phoenix clasps his hands together in a plea. "Can't you share something with your buddy at least?"

"Wright, we may be friends but during a case we must maintain professionalism. I'm sure you understand?"

"Oh, don't worry, Edgeworth," Maya speaks up again. "We understand. We just don't really care."

" _Well, 'not care' isn't the phrase I'd use."_

Edgeworth pinches the bridge of his nose. "Frankly, Wright, I'm surprised you're still allowed to practice law with all of your strange tactics."

The sound of the printer feeding out the last copy echoes in the room and Edgeworth grabs at the pages.

Only to notice one's half-printed and the other one completely blank.

"What in the world?" He exclaims as he crumples up the paper and disposes of it. He turns to the printer, giving the top of it a slam. "Blast this printer. I know this has ink in it…"

"Everything okay there, Edgeworth?"

"Hm? Oh, yes, everything's fine here, I suppose."

A bright spark explodes from the printer, sending Miles to the floor.

"Doesn't look like everything's okay."

"Ngooh…" Edgeworth stumbles his way off the floor. "Damn this machine. My printer has been acting strange this past week. I wanted to call a repairman but a certain detective thought it better to take matters in his own hands."

A couple more sparks flash from the device as the defense team see smoke emit from the top. Panic seeps Edgeworth's face as he rushes to unplug the machine that everyone could clearly hear is overheating. A tug at the cord later and Edgeworth's arms collapse at the floor in relief and disappointment.

"This is the last time I trust him with any technology of mine."

A few seconds of the machine cooling down and Edgeworth slams the plug back into the outlet. He starts up the copying process again and nearly drops at the floor at seeing how agonizingly slow the pages are coming out.

Despite the overly loud sounds coming from the printer, an awkward silence chokes the room. Edgeworth taps his foot impatiently as the Wright Co. try to find a topic starter.

"Very well," Edgeworth breaks the still air. "I suppose I can ponder about one of my theories to the both of you."

" _Note to self: If you want Edgeworth to cough up about something, leave him in silence."_

"You see, the police still aren't quite sure on what Lector's motive was. We've had many clues but nothing conclusive."

"Do you think it has something to do with the Monarch Corporation?" Maya asks.

Edgeworth smirks as he nods his head. "It seems like your investigation wasn't entirely useless, Wright, if you know about them."

"You should thank Detective Falcon, mostly. He kinda told us about the whole Monarch deal. Plus, we managed to find out that Carter was in the middle of some kind of trade deal the day of the crime."

"Is that so?" Edgeworth voice and brow picks up at the info. "Well, impossible to arrest a dead man. Though, as Falcon likely told you, I'm not too surprised to hear Carter Fly connected with something unscrupulous."

The printer finishes printing out the first copy, the loud sound directing everyone's attention to it. When the second copy starts to print out as agonizingly slow like the first, Edgeworth shakes his head and continues the conversation.

"But, yes, I suspect it's like you alluded to. The Monarch Corporation has done something to wrong Lector. I theorize this murder to be one of revenge."

"Revenge?"

Edgeworth nods his head. "This whole crime seems to be one of passion. Think on it, Wright. What use would a person get for stabbing someone in the head or…hitting them with a blunt object other than being driven by a blinding hate?"

Miles takes a printed copy off of the device, the copy showing Carter Fly's autopsy. He hands it to the team, as to illustrate his point.

"And with how Carter Fly died. Easily, Lector could have shot him in the head or the heart for a quick death. But the autopsy shows his wound, in fact, killed him slowly. Does that not allude to a motive of wanting someone to 'suffer like they did?'"

As Phoenix looks down at Fly's picture on the report, he can't deny Edgeworth has a point. Phoenix's attention is then taken away from the picture as Edgeworth chuckles to himself for a second.

"Of course, Wright, you don't suspect Lector has done it, have you? Surely, you theorize, he went to the hotel that day for a nice vacation and was unfortunately wrapped up in this troublesome incident."

The memory of digging out a gun and gloves from the soil flashes back in Phoenix's mind. He forces a smile as he hopes a nervous bead of sweat doesn't slip down his face. "Y-yeah…something like that."

The last copy finishes printing out and Miles, walking back to his desk, hands the page to Wright.

"Despite who we think committed the crime, I still suspect this crime to be fueled by some sense of revenge. Considering Fly's past, I wouldn't put it past the killer." Edgeworth eases himself down into the chair as he rubs his chin in thought.

"Still…for a person to take justice in their hands like such. Our justice system isn't perfect, Wright. Nowhere near it, as I'm sure you're aware. But, as you can see, the killer's justice has led to nothing more but the suffering of many others. And, if the killer is Lector or any other person, they should receive harsh punishment for their morally reprehensible act."

Phoenix scratches an itch at the back of his neck. "You do raise a good point…"

Miles breathes out a sigh as a friendly grin comes across his face. "But…our role in this case is not exactly to discuss morals, is it? Let us bring whoever committed this crime to justice, Wright."

"You got it, Edgeworth!" Maya cuts in with an ecstatic thumbs-up before Phoenix could respond.

"Now, if you please, bring those new copies to Falcon. I'm sure he's waiting eagerly for them."

After a couple thanks and goodbyes, the defense team exits the office. As Phoenix walks down the hallway, Edgeworth's earlier words ring in his head.

* * *

" _For a person to take justice in their hands like such…the killer's justice has led to nothing more but the suffering of many others."_

* * *

"You alright, Nick?"

"Hm?" Wright is snapped from his thoughts. "Oh, it's nothing. Just thinking about the case."

"Oh…Well, I guess it's back to the hotel?"

Phoenix nods as they head down the steps of the Prosecutor's Office. All the while, Edgeworth's moral argument still piercing his mind. _"I can't deny that Lector was planning something that day. I just can't. He came to that hotel to murder someone…he must've!"_

The team makes it down to the ground floor, not long before the cool of the outside air sweeps across their faces.

" _I wonder…is it really right for me to clear someone who would have done something that terrible?"_

 **March 11, 2019 4:45**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

Wright is so engrossed with his thoughts that, to break him out of them, it would take a pickup truck driving with no care or sense to nearly run them over.

Conveniently, that's what Phoenix and Maya experience as they are walking towards the hotel entrance.

When their heartbeats and breathing finally do calm down from the fear coursing through them, they can't find themselves verbally expressing their disbelief as the red pickup speeds – messily so – into a parking spot, the giant tarp-covered object in the flatbed shaking around dangerously.

"What the hell?" Phoenix finally finds the will to speak.

Though, Phoenix once again loses that will when he sees who exactly steps out the truck. The messy ginger hair sticks out like a sore thumb. Kish slams the truck's door so hard, it's enough to make the truck shake. Jared heads towards the entrance to the hotel, not even giving a glance towards the people he could've made victims.

"K-Kish!" Maya shouts to him when he's near enough to the team. "You almost ran us over!"

"Tch. Yeah, and I probably should've."

Phoenix knows that a situation needing defusing is fast approaching when he sees Maya rolls up her sleeves. _"Maya, please, it's hard enough trying to clear an innocent person of murder."_

"Look, the last people on earth I'd ever want to talk to are… Hell, not even you, so get out of my way."

And with a quick shove, Jared heads towards the hotel entrance, almost making it through the door. That is, before Maya grabs hold of his shirt and cries of pain are heard seconds later. The medium drags the poor man back over to Phoenix. _"I never thought Maya could be so terrifying."_

"Now…Jared. I hope you have a good reason for nearly running me and Nick over!"

Jared's eyes dart around the area as he stumbles up an excuse. "I…uh…didn't see you?"

She lets go of him, Kish falling hard on the ground. "Not good enough."

The young man goes back to trying to find another excuse before he tries to speak, only spouting incomprehensible pleas of mercy and forgiveness.

"Going off of your previous anger, Kish," Phoenix speaks up after having enough of the, admittedly, pathetic scene. "You just came back from questioning, didn't you?"

Jared stops his cries and looks up at Phoenix before his face contorts back to anger and annoyance. "Maybe…"

Phoenix shakes his head. "So, that's why… I know you're upset for a mistake you made but that's no reason for almost running us over!"

Anger further flames within Kish, as he wipes away any stains of earlier tears and gets up off the ground. "Oh, whatever! The last person I need a lecture from today is you."

And with that, Jared storms inside. Wright looks over to Maya. _"Is that steam coming out of her ears?"_

"That Kish! I should just…"

"Maya," Phoenix puts a hand on her shoulder. "It's not worth it. Let's just get back to the investigation."

Maya's anger starts to dissipate eventually before she sighs in frustration, her arms dropping. "Sorry, Nick. You're right. Let's get back to Falcon."

The defense team start to head inside…before Jared comes back out, shoving them nearly to the ground.

"Out of the way! I forgot my wallet."

Leaving Phoenix to use all the strength he could muster to hold back Maya from rushing over to him and inciting another grand incident at this hotel.

Digging in his car for a couple seconds, Kish comes out with his wallet and slams the door so hard and loudly, one could swear it was a gunshot. The truck shakes, the mysterious cargo threatening to tip over.

"You know, Kish," Phoenix says when Jared gets close enough. "For someone carrying something in the back of their truck, you seem awfully careless with your car… What is that in the back, anyways?"

Jared freezes in his tracks and his face almost becomes fearful, before twisting back to anger. "It ain't none of your business, so why do you care?"

"You seemed really tense there, Kish," Phoenix observes. "Are you ok?"

Jared's hand almost crumples his wallet into a nice ball before he shakes his head in anger. "Just stay out of my business, ok? Damn…"

This time for good, Jared enters the hotel. Phoenix's eyes uneven at the convo as he continues to hold back the irrationally angry Fey.

" _He seemed awfully defensive, huh?"_

The attorney looks at the truck, overcoming his want to see behind the tarp.

" _Maybe…I should make a note of it, at least."_

 _Kish's Truck added to the Court Record_

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 4:56**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lobby Floor**

 **Hotel Center I**

After managing to calm down Maya once more, the team enter the hotel and wait at the front desk's long line. After some time, they finally meet up with Ruth at the front of the desk.

"Welcome back, Mr. Wright," she greets before cocking her head. "Isn't it getting a bit late for investigating, though?"

"Maybe…" Phoenix trails off as he looks at the clock. "We just need to talk to Falcon, though. Have you seen him?"

Vice taps her chin in thought before shaking her head in assurance. "I mean, he asked me earlier if he could see Lodgings and I said he could... Not sure where he went after that."

"Could we go to Lodgings' office now? See if he's still there?"

"Uh…" Ruth takes a quick glance at the clock. "Sure…Mr. Lodgings should be free now. He practically lives in that office and he's typically done with paperwork at this time."

" _Though, the thought of having to go in that drab room again isn't at all exciting."_

Despite Phoenix's reservations, the team make way to Lodgings' office.

 **March 11, 2019 5:00 PM**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

 **Lodgings' Office**

Upon entering the office, Phoenix finds himself having to correct his vision again. The stark contrast of color still manages to catch the Wright Co. off guard. _"How in the world does he manage to do that?"_

When they get their bearings again, they find the office empty, however. Only the stares of the paintings keep them company.

"Hello? Mr. Lodgings? Falcon?" Maya calls out.

"This office is only so big, Maya. It seems like they're not here."

"Hm…guess you're right."

The attorney shakes his head and turns towards the door. "Come on. Let's go see if Falcon is somewhere else."

Phoenix walks towards the door yet takes note the lack of any other footsteps sounding. When he makes it to the door, he knows it's likely that Maya is flashing her signature grin. And, sure enough, that's exactly what greets him when he turns around. And he knows exactly what it's for.

"No, Maya."

"Come on, Nick! There may be something important in here, after all!"

"I don't think we should do that, Maya. We've invaded others' privacy enough."

Maya taps her foot. "And…didn't doing that help us?"

" _I mean…sure, but that's not the point."_ Phoenix internally sighs. "Look, we might get in trouble. I don't know about you, but Lodgings doesn't give me the impression of a person you'd want to get on the wrong side of."

Fey taps a finger against her cheek. "Well…yeah, but this is for the investigation. If there was something in here that could help Lector, would you feel good about yourself ignoring the chance you had to learn about it?"

Wright readies his mouth for a rebuttal but stops short. Maya does have a point, he figures. If there was the slightest chance that Lodgings was hiding something that could prove Lector's innocence…then who is he to dismiss it?

Besides, a certain glowing rock showed that Lodgings isn't exactly a transparent person.

"We'll be quick, ok?" Maya declares before running over to one of the boxes along a wall, immediately searching through it.

Phoenix decides to head towards the opposite wall as a bright light briefly flashes in his eyes. He looks out towards the large window looming over Daniel's desk.

" _Lodgings' office is so depressing, he actually made it nighttime? I'm not sure if I should be impressed or scared."_

Phoenix squints his eyes to take a better look out the window and finally gets an answer behind the anomaly.

" _Wait a minute… It's a separate room. With a bright light and…fake clouds and a moon?"_

Wright scratches his head in confusion.

"Hey, Maya. Do you know why Lodgings would set up a different room behind his desk for a night backdrop?"

Maya stops tearing through one of the cluttered boxes to take a look out the window. She shrugs. "I dunno. Maybe for dramatic effect?"

" _That's a bit too ridiculous, don't you think?"_

Maya runs over to another box while Phoenix decides to look at a box on the right wall. Quickly looking through it, he notices nothing of interest. Discarded notes, door handles, wires, and other miscellaneous junk. Much of the same is in the next box he checks.

Peering into another box, he quickly closes it when he realizes it looks like a box of bank statements, contracts, and other important documents. _"Those are a bit too personal… I probably shouldn't look through that."_

He goes to the next box to open it...until he notices a strange line on the wall behind. He raises a brow as he follows the line and see that it forms an outline of what looks like a door.

Wright feels around the part of the wall, searching for the handle. "Hey, Maya. Can you give me a hand moving these boxes? I think there's a door here."

"Oooh! A secret door!" Maya excitedly exclaims and skips over to Phoenix, quickly pushing away the boxes.

A path now clear, Phoenix gets his hand in the groove of the door and begins to pull.

"What do you think we'll find?" Maya bounces up and down, her excitement beyond control. "Maybe some kind of secret dungeon? Or maybe a side office where he calculates all his evil plans? Or maybe…"

The door gives way and Phoenix pulls it wide open. Despite slightly snickering, he feels bad at seeing Maya's excitement drop at the revelation.

"A generator?"

And not just one generator. It's a side room with two generators, currently running.

"That's…kinda disappointing."

"Wait…this doesn't make sense," Phoenix thinks aloud. Maya casts him a curious look. "Something about this isn't right."

"Like what?"

The answer doesn't immediately grace him. Instinctively, Phoenix knows something about this scene is wrong. But what?

Then it hits him.

"The blackout report!"

"The report?"

Wright nods as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out the paper, reading over it again.

 _Watson Electric_ _TM_ _Report – 3/9/19_

 _Incident: Power outage at 10:15 PM._

 _Cause of Incident: Electrical Current (currently unknown)_

 _Incident Fixed: 9:42 AM – 3/10/19_

 _Notable Details: Age of the generator in question – approximately 5 years or more._

 _Summary: After an examination of the problem, we have concluded that a strong electrical current came in contact with the generator and backup generator causing damage to the outer display of the machines, additionally causing a small blast that cut power to the building until fixed the next morning. We are to assume that the electrical current came from lightning as a heavy thunderstorm was present that night._

The team read over the report, the answer striking Maya soon after reading the last sentence.

"Wait…if the generators are in here, then how could lightning get to them?"

" _Did everyone just assume the generators were outside and lightning got to them? And was Lodgings hiding this fact? But why?"_

 _Generators updated in the Court Record_

Deciding that's all they can get from here, they close the door and put the boxes back in their original place.

"You know…looking through those boxes," Maya begins. "I didn't really find anything expect a bunch of junk and papers…"

"Same here. I guess the last thing to check is…"

Collectively, they turn towards the desk, squinting at the blinding window light. They take a glance and nod in agreement, heading to the desk. Stepping over a few wires, they get behind the desk. To their surprise, they find a desk compartment that would be out of sight from anyone on the other side. There are neatly kept papers and files and a computer monitor.

"I wonder if we can find anything in the camera footage," Maya ponders.

She taps a key on the keyboard and finds it going to a password screen.

"Have you seen a password around here, Nick?"

"I don't think Lodgings is the type of person to keep a password out in the open like that."

Despite that, Maya leans forward to try anyways. Her fingers quickly type several guesses, each coming back negative.

"Let's just stop that," Phoenix tells Maya after she decides to try _password. "After all, I don't know what security protocol Lodgings has on this place. And his personality doesn't make me wish to figure out either."_

"W-well…" Maya stutters, looking to see what else is there. "I guess it's just the desk that's left. Check that one, Nick."

Wright looks down and sees a drawer handle near him. He grabs hold of it and pulls. And then pulls again. And pulls at it once more…each time the drawer barely budging.

"What the heck? Is it locked or something?"

"N-no…I don't think." The lawyer pulls at it again. "I don't see a lock on it or anything."

After another yank, it finally starts to budge. Wright sees this as the light at the end of the tunnel…that soon goes away after another tug does nothing. Phoenix shakes the drawer with the handle and gives it another pull, the drawer starting to give way again.

After another forceful pull, the drawer finally comes open. Wright nearly fall on the floor, Maya quickly catching him.

Looking inside, they see the reason behind the troublesome drawer. The compartment is stuffed to the brim with a bunch of items. Papers, office utensils, pill bottles – that both could see are for heart problems – and even broken cords and batteries.

"Why is this drawer so stuffed?"

"Yeah…I mean, there's another drawer here, after all."

Phoenix contemplates searching through all of the clutter, a possibility of something important hiding amidst it. Though, he figures that Lodgings wouldn't be the type of person to give himself later trouble when hiding something.

Leaving only one place to check…

Phoenix walks over to the other drawer, Maya stepping out the way. He finds himself with an easier time opening it, considering the only item in it.

"A handkerchief?"

In dead center of the drawer only sits a folded handkerchief. They both tilt their heads in confusion at the sight.

"Why did he just reserve one drawer for a handkerchief?" Maya says.

"I don't know," Phoenix reaches down, unfolding the cloth. "Doesn't seem like anything's…in…there…"

"Nick?" Maya calls out to him, worried at his voice suddenly drifting. She looks down in the drawer and feels the same pit in her stomach.

Neatly sitting in the napkin is a blade. And not just any blade…but one with a clearly bloodstained tip.

"A-A knife!"

Phoenix shushes Maya, though he can't deny he wished to scream when he first saw it as well. There is no mistaking it, though. Even with his black and white vision, the red tip of the knife clearly shines.

"B-but why? Why does he have this?"

"You don't think…" Maya trails off, Phoenix clearly knowing what she's implying. "I mean…why else would he have something like that?"

" _She's right…why else would he have a bloody knife?"_

Despite his muddled thoughts, Phoenix tries to think of another possibility. Nothing strikes him…until he thinks back to this morning.

* * *

 _Miles taps his pointer finger against his temple. "Verily, Mr. Wright. The size of the knife does not match the wound in the victim's head. Thus, the prosecution concludes, that this is not the real knife that killed Stir."_

 _Edgeworth puts the pictures back into his briefcase. "Nonetheless, the prosecution has had a group of officers to search the entirety of the hotel in search for the real knife. While results have been unsuccessful thus far, the prosecution is confident that the real knife will be covered in the defendant's prints whenever it is found."_

* * *

"You don't think this is the real knife Edgeworth was talking about, do you?" Phoenix suggests.

"Oh! You're right. Edgeworth was saying something about 'finding the real knife.'"

"But still…I'm not sure if this is in here because Lodgings is an accessory or…the person we're looking for."

Maya clenches her fists in excitement, noticeably pleased. "I knew Lodgings was up to something! I can't believe I was right!"

" _What gave it away? The monotone attitude? The suppressed anger issues? The giant spy-movie-villain window?"_

"Hey, look...there's something else in here."

The attorney looks back down in the drawer and realises she's right. Also sitting in the cloth is a pair of gloves. Maya picks them up and brings them towards the light. Doing so, they notice the poor state they are in. Great wear at the fingertips and even tears and holes in a couple of places.

"Why does he have these?" Maya cocks her head.

"I dunno. But why did he put in here with the knife?"

"Maybe it's important?"

" _Is it as important as a bloody knife, though?"_

 _Bloody Knife added to the Court Record_

 _Tattered Gloves added to the Court Record_

"Come on…let's get out of here quickly. I don't want him finding us. I don't want to be on the end of this knife."

Making sure nothing else is out of place, they make a dash out the office with the knife and gloves in tow. They breathe a sigh of relief when it seems no one noticed they even left the office and make a dash to the front door. Luckily for them, they notice Ruth talking to someone. At least, that's what they see out of the corner of their eye. They won't deny not getting a real good look at Ruth or the person she's talking to. They're just relieved that she didn't notice them leaving so suddenly.

* * *

 **March 11, 2019 5:30**

 **Heavenly Lodgings**

After some distance from the entrance, they both stop when a voice calls out to them. And fear courses through them when they recognize the voice.

"Mr. Wright. Ms. Fey."

As much as they don't want to, they turn around and are faced with the last person they want to see.

"M-Mr. Lodgings!"

Daniel raises a brow at her jittery and uncomfortable behavior. "My, it is as you have seen a ghost."

"R-really?"

"Indeed," he responds, suspicious. "I couldn't help but notice you rushing out the door so suddenly, as well. I was talking to Ms. Vice and I noticed your blue suit walking with much haste."

" _T-that was Lodgings?"_ Phoenix screams internally. The Wright Co. feel Lodgings' suspecting glare upon them, the knot in their stomachs intensifying.

"Is there something the matter?"

"N-no, of course not!" They concurrently answer quickly.

"I see. Well, there is a reason I have stopped you, so let us not waste our time."

"There is?"

"Yes. I was talking with Ms. Vice and she mentioned that you were looking for Detective Falcon, no?"

"Y-yes, we were," Phoenix responds as he feels his fear waning with Lodgings' decreasing glare.

"Well, yes, he wished to talk to me earlier and, when he left, he mentioned he'd be going to the precinct. Why did you want to talk to him?"

"Oh, we just had something important to the case to give him," Maya answers, Phoenix hearing slight relief in her voice as well.

"I see," Daniel nods his head as he strokes his chin in thought. "Did you go to my office recently?"

Phoenix and Maya hate how that small moment of relief couldn't be longer as they tense up in fear again. "Y-your office?" Phoenix repeats.

"Yes," Daniel leans his head back, his distrusting stare returning. "I'm just wondering if you had gone there after talking with Ms. Vice."

"Why would we go there, Mr. Lodgings?" Maya tries to grin through her fear.

One of Lodgings' eyes start to twitch as he reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out his earlier pocketbook, flipping through almost the whole book before slamming it shut.

"Why're you trying to feign ignorance? Ms. Vice has already informed me that she told you Mr. Falcon and I were in my office. She even gave you an open invitation…which I will scold her for."

Phoenix and Maya gulp at Daniel's harsh emphasis on the word "scold." "W-well, we did go to your office," Phoenix quickly answers as he sees no use in continuing this lie. "But we left as soon as we saw you weren't there."

"And that is the truth?"

The team's stomach knots get even tighter as Wright answers the question. "Of course, it is. Why do you doubt us?"

Lodgings just nods as Wright is glad Daniel doesn't have a Magatama of his own.

"I do not doubt you, Mr. Wright. It is just you understand that a man should be entitled to some privacy. I am sure you would expect the same if I came to your office, no?"

"Of course. No, I perfectly understand."

And with that, Daniel's – almost accusatory – look disappears and his dreary one reappears. "Well, I just wished to relay that information about Mr. Falcon. Let me not keep you. I bid a good day, Mr. Wright."

Daniel turns and walks away as Wright and Fey exhale sighs of relief. Until the hotel owner stops again.

"Oh, and Mr. Wright?"

"Y-yes, Mr. Lodgings?"

"Much luck in the trial tomorrow," he calls out as he turns his head to look at them. "An instinct of mine tells me you'll need it."

And with those final words, he disappears back inside the building.

"Let's call it a day."

"I agree."

One walk and dropping off Maya at the train station later – the two giving their goodbyes – Phoenix finds himself walking back to the office with just his thoughts. Unfortunately, thoughts with no intent on being organized.

" _Is Lodgings the murderer?"_ Phoenix's thoughts echo. _"His behavior and…well, having a bloody knife and all…that certainly does suggest that. But there's just some things that don't line up."_

Phoenix makes it back to the office and make sure everything is in order and fetches his bike, pedaling back to his apartment.

" _Has Lodgings even noticed the knife is missing yet? Should I have even heard something about that? I'm not falling into a trap, am I?"_

Wright's line of thinking is abruptly interrupted with a just as abrupt crash into a fire hydrant, landing onto the sidewalk after a short flight. He breathes a sigh of relief as he notices just a scratch but he can't say the same about his bike, now forcing to walk it home. As he does, familiar words replay in his head.

* * *

" _Nonetheless, the prosecution has had a group of officers to search the entirety of the hotel in search for the real knife. While results have been unsuccessful thus far, the prosecution is confident that the real knife will be covered in the defendant's prints whenever it is found."_

* * *

No doubt, Phoenix is planning to present the knife come tomorrow's trial. However, Phoenix wonders if anything detrimental may come as a result. If that knife is the actual weapon _and_ Lector's fingerprints…what would that mean for him?

" _Am I starting to doubt Lector? Now of all times? But…he hasn't exactly been open, either."_

After all, hiding a pistol and gloves and lying about having a motive…what if the Magatama was wrong once more and Lector found another loophole of lying to not set it off?

" _I wonder…is it really right for me to clear someone this questionable?"_

Wright stops in his tracks when another memory enters his head.

* * *

 _Phoenix recalls how he noted the miserable look in Lector's face when he saw his mugshot on the news. He additionally recalls how there was only one time Lloyd smiled during this meeting. And not just a smile, but a face finally filled with hope and understanding. The face Phoenix is staring at now… It sunk back to the lost and depressed man he was first met with._

" _But…why is he lying to me about the victims?" Phoenix asks himself. Yet, as soon as Phoenix completes that thought, an image of his younger self flashes through his mind. That tacky shirt, the constant coughing and sneezing… The undying love he had for a woman so much that he was willing to lie. Yet, against all those odds, his late mentor still defended him and still earned him an acquittal._

" _I'm not sure why Lector is lying about the victims… But leaving him to fend for himself…To have him die when I could've done something…"_

* * *

"Of course," Phoenix audibly concludes. _"What am I thinking about?"_

He finally makes it back to his apartment and finds himself in bed not much time later, start to drift off to sleep.

" _Even if Lector has done some questionable things…even if he hasn't been transparent…I can't let that entirely cloud my judgement. Even if Lector is guilty of planning a crime…I believe he's still innocent of committing one! And I can't fail him…not after he gave his trust. Even if I do have to get you to reveal your secrets, Lector…"_

Phoenix's thoughts finally slow down as his eyes close.

" _I won't let you down!"_


	11. Kish's Testimony

**(AN: Greetings! Thank you for reading this chapter! A little fun fact...I actually had this chapter finished about a week or two ago but school and other business kept making me forget to publish this until now. But, better late than never, amirite?** **I hope you enjoyed this chapter as the second trial session is a real favorite section of this story and this chapter only addresses the tip of it. I hope to publish the next chapter soon!** **Thank you for reading and have a nice day.)**

* * *

 **March 12, 2019, 9:59 AM**

 **Los Angeles District Courthouse**

 **Defendant's Lobby No. 2**

Maya taps her foot impatiently as Lector checks his coin watch. Both are distressed at the absence of a key person.

"You have heard nothing from him?" Lloyd speaks up.

"No…" Maya groans in worry. "I dunno why he's late. This has never happened before."

"The proceedings will begin soon!" A bailiff shouts. "All please gather in the courtroom!"

"Could you just…wait a minute, please?" Maya clasps her hands in plea, dropping them back to her sides when the bailiff gives an understanding nod.

"Perhaps something dire has happened to him?"

"Maybe. I don't think they're gonna allow us much time after this." Fey trails off as she gets more concerned. She then jumps up in shock. "W-what if I'll have to defend you this trial, Lector? I once had this dream that I had to defend this painter who was accused of killing someone…but I never knew something like that would come true!"

Lector tilts his head as he sees the concern disappear from her face, stars filling her eyes.

"Ooh! What if I earn you an acquittal and I become famous!" She exclaims as she pans her hand across the air, Lector chuckling awkwardly. "Maya Fey! Ace Spirit Medium and Attorney! That would be pretty cool, wouldn't it?"

The sound of doors being burst open break Maya's dreams as Phoenix rushes in trying to catch a full breath. "Th-there's no need f-for that, M-Maya…"

"Nick! You're here! Wait, did you hear what I was saying?"

His breath still irregular, he shakes his head. "N-no, but I knew you'd be saying something crazy about me being late."

Maya folds her arms, her mouth puffing up with air. "Oh, you're so mean, Nick!"

"Let's not worry about that now." Phoenix, finally catching his breath, walks towards the courtroom doors. "I don't want to be late any longer…I'm so sorry, Lector."

Lloyd shakes his head. "It's no problem, I suppose. It matters most that you're here."

" _I guess…but I kinda wanted to ask you about your little hiding spot I found. I guess that'll just wait."_

The bailiffs open the doors and the defense team and Lector step inside. And thus, begins the second trial day.

 **March 12, 2019, 10:02 AM**

 **Los Angeles District Courthouse**

 **Courtroom No. 2**

The court is already silent when Phoenix, Maya, and Lector enter. Phoenix figures that the court was already called to order. As he and Maya get behind the bench, Wright takes a quick glance around the gallery. He notices a few familiar faces. Specifically, the Vices and Yew. _"Who is whispering to Ruth?"_ Phoenix wonders as he takes a glimpse at a gruff man wearing suspenders, leaning towards Ruth as he mutters something to her. Ruth is also leaned toward his direction. _"They kinda look like they know each other."_

Phoenix pays no further mind to it.

"Now then… Court is now in session for the trial of Lloyd Lector. Are the prosecution and defense prepared?"

Miles, from his bench, grins and gives an – almost dramatic – bow. "The prosecution is prepared, Your Honor."

Phoenix nods his head. "The defense is prepared as well, Your Honor."

The judge turns to look at Wright, the attorney already knowing what this will be about. "Now, Mr. Wright, you were quite tardy today, were you not?"

Phoenix tries to laugh it off as he scratches at an itch on his neck. "Oh, I apologize, Your Honor. It's just, I was up very late last night…"

Phoenix trails off, trying to find an excuse, sweat beginning to drop down his face.

"…preparing my airtight defense?"

 **Objection!**

"Your Honor! The mere thought of Wright preparing his arguments for more than five minutes is a preposterous consideration!"

"I must admit, Mr. Edgeworth does have a point," His Honor nods in agreement.

" _No, he doesn't!"_

"Gotta admit, Nick," Maya chimes in next. "You were pretty late today. What was up, anyways?"

"I crashed my bike last night, ok? And the courthouse is pretty far from where I live…I had to run over here! That, and I overslept a bit."

"Well, let's not have this happen again, Wright," the judge warns. "Now then, would the prosecution give their opening statement?"

Edgeworth nods as he bends down to fish out a couple papers. "Yesterday, the defense proposed that the coroners made a mistake when determining the time of deaths for two of the victims, who were Carter Fly and Bob Stir."

Edgeworth holds up the photos for the court before continuing.

"After another autopsy, the coroners have determined this to be true. At first, we were under the impression that Bob Stir was attacked first and was alive for some time before his death while Carter Fly was shot and killed instantaneously. This was an error, however, as these findings found their way into the report after a theory an officer proposed when first arriving on the scene."

"Really?" The judge furrows his brows.

"Indeed. The actual findings will conclude that it was Stir that died instantly and Fly that died gradually. I trust you received the updated reports, Your Honor?"

"Ah, yes," the judge nods, "I received them this morning."

"Good. Now that this error is cleared up, let me continue to my second point," Edgeworth smirks as he points towards Phoenix. "Yesterday, the defense asserted that this court lacked evidence to either convict or acquit the defendant and urged for further investigation into the case. Today, they needn't worry about that, as I would like to call an eyewitness that will clear up any doubts."

"Another witness, prosecutor?"

"Verily, Your Honor," Edgeworth nods. "You see, after yesterday's proceedings, Detective Falcon managed to overhear a young man bragging to someone that they managed to keep quiet about being a witness to the police."

"They were bragging about it?" The judge scratches his head, confused. "Why were they even keeping quiet about it at all?"

Miles buries his head in his hand, clearly annoyed at trying to conceive an answer. "My thoughts exactly. Regardless, the prosecution had another witness prepared before this event, but after hearing this man's testimony, I have decided to call him today instead."

"Very well," His Honor nods his head. "Whenever you are ready."

"The prosecution calls Jared Kish to the stand."

Phoenix feels his shoulders sulking, just at the thought of the young adult on the stand. _"This…will be interesting."_

The courtroom doors close with a slam as Jared walks to the stand, tapping his feet impatiently. His eyes decide to take a glance at several members of the court as Edgeworth straightens out his papers. Jared's eyes connect with those of the gruff man next to Ruth. His tapping foot stops for a second as he averts his eyes and resumes.

"Witness," the prosecutor finally begins. "Please state your name and occupation for the court record."

Jared is silent as he continues tapping his foot and looking around. Edgeworth sighs, being reminded that this next hour or two will not be easy.

"Witness…your name and occupation."

Jared stops looking around the court and drops his head, looking abashed. "Gotta say…I'm kinda embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?"

"Yeah…" He lifts his head up, a grin across his face. "I wish I put on some better clothes if I knew I'd be going to the Stuffed Suits club!"

Jared's face clearly shows he was expecting a roar of laughter at the "joke" but he only finds awkward silence in response. His smile is replaced with his usual angry expression.

"Oh, come on. Tough crowd?"

" _More like crowd with an actual sense of humor."_

"Hey!" Kish turns to his right. "Phoenix, I heard that!"

" _What? Don't tell me you got into mind reading as well."_

Edgeworth clears his throat, shaking his head. "Mr. Kish, if you are quite done…"

"Oh, shut it!" Kish interrupts. "Damn, I'm sick and tired of seeing uptight pieces of trash, acting like they're better than me, everywhere I go! Can't you all just take out that pole that's been shoved up your-"

Edgeworth slams his bench with his fist, his irritation clearly bordering anger. "Mr. Kish! I demand you to stop this behavior!"

"I said shut up!" He spits back. "Seriously, the last people I want to listen to is either some loser who pisses his pants at a tiny tremor…"

Edgeworth clearly wants to retort back but finds the words trapped in his throat, completely stunned at the comment. Jared turns to Phoenix.

"…or some idiot banging his dead boss' sister…"

The defense team find themselves gasping in shock, also completely stunned, as Kish turns to his next victim.

"…or some old fool whose beard is as wrinkly and dried up as his b-"

 **"What. Did. You. Just. Say?"** The judge immediately speaks up.

Jared pauses his tirade, feeling a murderous intent in His Honor's tone. "W-woah…what's wrong gramps?" He stills tries to joke. "Y-ya need to take your dementia meds or something?"

 **"THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH FROM YOU!"**

Now Kish goes completely silent, fear quickly settling into him.

"Mr. Kish!" The judge continues. "Your behavior in this court thus far has been completely out of line and I shall not tolerate it any longer! From this point forward, if you so much as roll an eye at anyone in here, you will be held in contempt! And I will see to it you're buried under the jail as a result! Do I make myself clear?"

Jared remains bug-eyed and silent, starting to tremor in fear.

"DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

Kish jumps up, startled. "Yes yes yes yes of course I'm sorry I'm sorry sorry!"

"Now! Name and your occupation!"

"J-Jared Kish. Unemployed."

The judge shakes his head. "Not surprising to hear."

"H-hey…what's that supposed to mean?"

"Prosecutor Edgeworth? You may continue."

The court is silent for a few moments, both parties still stunned at Jared's comments. However, when the judge clears his throat, the defense and prosecution snap back to reality.

" _Gotta say…that was low, even for Jared."_

"Now then…Kish," Edgeworth begins, still getting his bearings straight. "On the night of…"

Edgeworth sighs, burying his head into his hands, shaking it in exasperation.

"Just…your testimony, please."

"Y-yeah. Sure, man."

 **Witness Testimony**

 **\- Murder in the Hotel Center –**

"Alright, so here's the biz."

Jared puts his hands behind his head. "On the night of the crime, I was just chilling in hotel center. Not really doing much of anything, just sitting there."

"That's when, suddenly, the lights went out."

"Now, I wouldn't have cared," Jared adds as he scratches his hair. "If I didn't hear a loud bang a couple minutes later. Obvious what it was."

"Now, that was clear enough for me to hightail it out of there. But then this dude, looking scared, stormed into the place…and I immediately knew something was up."

"So, I hid in a corner and watched another man rush in… and WHAM!" Jared hits one of his palms with a fist, simulating bludgeoning. "And the first guy fell to the floor."

Kish rubs the back of his neck, looking relieved. "Luckily, the second guy didn't see me and left almost immediately."

"Now, Mr. Kish. Isn't there a detail you're excluding?"

Jared turns to Edgeworth, the former visibly confused. "T-there is?"

Miles's face falls. "Yes. The detail that implicates the defendant?"

Jared looks up in thought before it finally hits him. "Oh yeah! The second guy who killed the other had some shiny looking things on him. And…y'know. The defendant's coin suit and all of that. If we're still going off that BS logic."

" _Hey, don't say that. I'm sure someone justified that making sense."_

"Why did you keep that important detail out of your testimony, witness?" The judge leans forward in curiosity.

"It appears he had forgotten, Your Honor," the prosecutor answers for Jared. "But you will see that in the written version of his testimony, given to us the day police questioned him…"

Edgeworth nods towards a bailiff and points toward him some papers. The bailiff rushes to Edgeworth, takes them, and rushes up the judge's bench, His Honor taking and reading over them.

"…that the detail has not been excluded."

"I see," The Judge nods after finishing reading. "Then, if that is all, the defense may begin their cross-examination when they are prepared."

" _Ok, no jokes today, Phoenix! Just focus and tackle the important details of this testimony."_

 **Cross-Examination**

 **\- Murder in the Hotel Center –**

"Alright, so here's the biz."

 **Hold It!**

Phoenix strokes his chin. "'Biz?' Would you mind explaining this weird word to the court, Mr. Kish?"

"Hm?" Jared just tilts his head, confused. "Like, I dunno, it's just slang, man."

"I didn't ask you what type of word it was, Kish," Phoenix continues, his eyes clearly showing how serious he is. "I asked you what the word meant!"

Kish stares at him, genuinely processing all that's happening. He shakes his head and sighs. "Biz is just short for business, I guess. Now can I-"

"You say it's short for business?" Phoenix buts in. "But how can we trust you? For all I know…"

Wright slams his palms into the bench, staring bullets into Jared.

"…Biz could be the very thing needed to solve this murder!"

That's when Wright acknowledges the bullets staring into him as well. Stares of disapproval and disappointment, especially coming from the judge.

"Wright, you know I have power over your penalties, yes?"

"I just remembered, yes."

"Perhaps you'd wish to use this court's time wisely, defense?"

From across the courtroom, Phoenix hears Edgeworth clicking his tongue. "Why, Your Honor, it would not be Mr. Wright if he didn't waste our time!"

" _I dunno. I think I had something with that biz thing."_

Jared puts his hands behind his head. "On the night of the crime, I was just chilling in hotel center. Not really doing much of anything, just sitting there."

"That's when, suddenly, the lights went out."

"Now, I wouldn't have cared," Jared adds as he scratches his hair. "If I didn't hear a loud bang a couple minutes later. Obvious what it was."

 **Hold It!**

"'Obvious what it was?'" Phoenix repeats. "Still, would you mind clarifying for the court, Kish?"

Jared's shoulders slump, trying ever so hard to hide his death state at Phoenix. "Come on, man. We all know what I'm talking about."

"Please. For the record, Mr. Kish," Edgeworth chimes in.

"…The loud bang I heard was clearly a gunshot. Now…is there any more point-"

Kish stops his venom-laced remark when he feels His Honor's glare intense on him. Jared's expression softens as he fakes a smile.

"I mean…I'm happy to answer any other questions."

" _Another question?"_ Phoenix thinks on it, remaining silent for some time. Everyone looks at him expectantly before he soon comes up with an inquiry.

"You've been quite vague regarding details before the power outage and gunshot. Why is that?"

The young adult shrugs his shoulders. "I dunno. I just didn't find what happened before then to be important."

"This is a murder trial, Kish," Wright taps a finger against the desk. "Any detail you may find unimportant to yourself may be important to the rest of us. So, please. Don't hold any details."

Jared sighs, rolling his head back in annoyance as he recounts the night again. "Ok…let's see. I was just sitting on one of the chairs, trying to get a little nap. Then the power went out. And then I heard a…"

Kish lifts his head back up, something clearly hitting him.

"W-wait a minute. Yeah, that's right. I heard a scream that night."

"A scream?" Phoenix leans closer.

"A scream?" Edgeworth parrots from across the room, seemingly irritated. "Kish, you spoke nothing of this in your interrogation yesterday."

"Sorry, I guess. I just remembered, that's all."

"What was this scream like?" Phoenix continues. "Do you think it belonged to one of the victims?"

The young adult shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe? I remember it being high-pitched and girly. Sounded really close too."

"Well, Mr. Wright?" The judge chimes in. "What do you wish to do with this info?"

Phoenix thinks on it for only a second. "I'd like for Mr. Kish to add this detail to his statement."

"Very well, then. Mr. Kish?"

"Yeah, sure."

The judge clears his throat, Kish quickly catching on to the meaning of that.

"I-I mean! Yes, sir."

"There was this girly scream right after the power outage and a little bit after the gunshot. It also sounded close, given how loud it was. It may have been one of the victims."

 **Objection!**

Phoenix slams on the desk, readying his argument…before he's abruptly interrupted by Kish's annoyed grunt.

"Jeez, man! Do you always have to yell your 'objections' and your 'hold its?'" Jared complains as he rubs ones of his ears, feigning pain. "Can't you just speak normally and not try to tear a hole through your desk?"

"I must admit, Mr. Wright, perhaps it would do well on my ears if you could keep your objections quieter more often."

" _Excuse me? Aren't you going to check him for his rude comment?"_

Phoenix shakes his head as he lifts his hands up again yet brings them down lightly upon the bench.

"Er…objection, Mr. Kish?"

"Yeah?"

"You just said that the scream you heard that night may have belonged to one of the victims. You also testified that the scream sounded feminine, right?"

Jared nods his head. "Yes."

"So, then, tell me. How could the scream you heard that night belong to any of the victims if-"

"…none of the victims were female," Jared cuts off, catching the attorney off guard. "Yeah, I knew you were gonna say that. And, yeah, I'll admit, that doesn't make much sense."

"Then, why did you say it?" Edgeworth joins in.

"Well, just because the scream was girly doesn't mean it belonged to a girl, now does it?"

Every head in the courtroom tilts in absolute confusion. "W-what?" Phoenix decides to verbalize his.

"I mean, hey. Maybe one of those guys had a real girly scream, y'know?" Jared throws his hands up, his face clearly believing into the sensibility of his argument. "May have been some real wusses."

"I mean…yeah, that is possible, but…"

"But I have no proof of that, right?"

"R-right." Phoenix says.

"Well, maybe you have some proof that it wasn't one of the victims?" Jared retaliates, sounding more and more confrontational. "Maybe you can show me who else it could be? I'll even take a theory of who you think it is."

Wright finds himself stunned at this sudden behavior. _"I guess his dad is a lawyer. He must've picked up a few things from him. Other than talk about me and Edgeworth's personal life, that is."_

" _Nonetheless, there has to be someone else that the scream belonged to. Someone who makes more sense."_

Phoenix finds himself silent as the courtroom looks at him expectantly. Kish smugly taps his foot in wait while the judge etches forward. "Well, Mr. Wright?"

Until a possibility hits Phoenix.

"Perhaps the scream belonged to one of the Vices?"

"The Vices?" Edgeworth questions. "As in Ruth and Sarah Vice? While, yes, that does make more sense than the scream belonging to a male victim…"

Miles ignores Jared muttering "I thought it made sense" under his breath.

"What makes you say it belonged to them?"

"Kish just testified that the scream sounded close," Phoenix gestures his hand towards the witness stand. "And we must keep in mind that Jared was in the Second Hotel Center at the time, which is right next to the First Hotel Center. In other words, where the receptionist desk is."

"Ah, I see!" The judge realizes. "Ms. Vice and her daughter were at the receptionist's desk that night, yes?"

Phoenix nods in assurance. "Yes, Your Honor. Therefore, it would at least make sense to assume the scream came from them."

 **Objection!**

Everyone turns their attention to Jared, seemingly a bit annoyed. More than usual, that is. "Yeah, we can assume, but the possibility of it being one of the victims still stands."

"Well…" Phoenix glances up at the gallery, catching the Vices staring at him. "We can ask them ourselves. They're in the gallery as we speak."

Edgeworth tries to look up at the gallery booth above him when he notices where Wright is staring. "Ms. Ruth and Sarah Vice. May you please come down from the stand to offer testimony on this issue?"

The Vices tense up when they feel a sea of eyes upon them. "O-of course!" Ruth answers. "It's no trouble at all."

The mother-and-daughter pair wait patiently at the stand, the bailiff who guided them to it reassuming his position.

"Now then, since you were in the gallery just a few moments ago, I trust I don't have to relay any more information?"

Ruth turns to Edgeworth and nods. Phoenix can't help but notice, though, that Sarah seems very intimidated to be at the stand.

"If that is the case," Edgeworth continues, "Then answer to the veracity of the defense's claims."

Ruth looks down at her daughter, expecting her to say something. Sarah turns her head to the floor as Vice calmly calls to her. "Sarah, honey. Don't you have something to say?"

Sarah takes in a deep breath and lifts her head up, obviously faking braveness to the court as she confesses. "I-I was the one who screamed…"

"R-really?" Phoenix tries to assure, Sarah nodding conclusively as her head drops back down in shame.

"I'm glad we could get that cleared up, then," His Honor says. "But why does the young girl seemed to be embarrassed?"

"It's just she doesn't like to admit she was scared that night," Ruth answers through a light chuckle, looking back down at her ashamed daughter. "She doesn't want anyone to see her as a scared little girl or anything like that."

"Mom!" Sarah calls out. "D-don't make it sound like that!"

"I'd understand feeling that if she was in her teens," Phoenix addresses Maya under his breath. "But she's 8!"

"Well, I, for one, think it's adorable and brave that she's trying to paint a different image of herself at such a young age."

" _Not…really my point, but sure."_

"Back to the topic at hand," Miles intercepts the discussion. "What was it that made you scream that night, Miss Vice?"

"I-It was a sound. A really loud sound, too!"

"A loud sound?" Phoenix's ears perk. "Like…a gunshot?"

"No," The young Vice glances up in thought. "It was more like a 'thump!'"

"A large 'thump' sound? And that's what scared you enough to scream?"

Sarah hides her face away again, eyes focused at her shoes. "I…was already really scared by the lights going out and the thunder…I guess that loud sound really scared me."

"She's right," Ruth steps in. "I heard the sound too. Not really sure what it was."

" _Nonetheless, I should make a note of this."_

 _Mysterious Sound added to the Court Record_

"Well, now that we have that cleared up," the Judge declares. "May Mr. Kish continue his testimony?"

The Vices walk away from the stand as Jared props himself off the wall he's leaning on, walking back to the stand. As the two pass each other, Ruth and Jared give each other death stares. Wright and Fey don't fail to notice it but pass on distracting the court with it.

"Where was I? Oh yeah…There was this girly scream right after the power outage and a little bit after the gunshot. It also sounded close, given how loud it was. Now I know it was the Vices."

 **Objection!**

Phoenix doesn't miss a beat as his hand slam onto his bench, Jared's annoyance making a reappearance as well.

"Hey man…didn't I say to stop with-"

"Kish! There's a serious contradiction in your testimony!"

"Well, yeah, no duh. Why else would you be trying to make me go deaf?"

"Ahem," The judge gives a gentle reminder.

"I-I mean… a contradiction? In my testimony? Oh, dear me. What is the problem?"

Phoenix shakes his head and continues. "Just now, the Vices testified they heard a loud sound. A sound so loud that it made the youngest scream. Now…it'd be logical to assume the sound was close enough for that to happen?"

"I suppose," Kish shrugs.

"And yet…I have yet to hear you mention that in your testimony, Kish."

Jared's snide expression vanishes as his eyes widen in fear and realization. "O-oh?"

"So, Kish…why did you exclude this detail from your testimony?" Phoenix strokes his chin. "Especially something as impressionable as a large thump."

Jared's sweating now, his eyes darting as his mind runs through an excuse. He turns his body away from Phoenix a bit, tired of trying to not make eye contact with him, as he ruffles his hair a bit.

"I-I dunno! I…just remembered. Yeah, that's it…"

"Just remembered?" Maya mumbles under her breath, exasperated at how convenient that sounds.

"So, you forgot about this thump, then?" Phoenix folds his arms.

"Y-yeah!" Jared stammers. "I know you're all doubting me but I'm sure of what I saw, alright?"

" _Not doubting what you saw…more so what you heard. Strange you're quick to assert that, though."_

"I guess…we can't really prove he's lying, huh?" Maya thinks aloud to Phoenix. "I mean, it is possible he just has a bad memory."

"A really convenient one, though. But maybe I won't get anything more with this," Phoenix admits to himself as he turns back to Jared, the young man appearing even more agitated. "Kish…could you continue your testimony."

He breathes a sigh as he shrugs. "Y-yeah…sure, whatever."

"Now, that was clear enough for me to hightail it out of there. But then this dude, looking scared, stormed into the place…and I immediately knew something was up."

"So, I hid in a corner and watched another man rush in… and WHAM!" Jared hits one of his palms with a fist, simulating bludgeoning. "And the first guy fell to the floor."

 **Hold It!**

Though crying that out quickly, Wright takes a second to digest the statement. "That's…a bit vague, isn't it?"

"Vague?" Jared twists his face. "Vague how?"

"You're not awfully specific about how the third victim was killed, I mean. Did you see the weapon? Did you see the killer's face or anything else on them that wasn't shine? Did you try to go help the victim?"

Though, knowing the man he's interrogating, Phoenix figures the answer to the last question.

"I'm just asking for more detail. Or are you saying you forgot those specific details too?"

"W-well, look, I'll be up front with you. I didn't _explicitly_ see the guy get killed," Kish scratches his head, avoiding eye contact. "I'm kinda copying off the autopsy."

"Copying off the autopsy?" Edgeworth's eye twitches. "Kish…that is not what your testimony has alluded to."

Jared decides to take a glance at the prosecutor, after hearing that deadly tone, but quickly looks away. He figures that he'll drop dead any second if another dagger is stared into him.

"I-It's just I didn't see it extremely detailed, alright?" Jared enters defense mode. "W-what, you get off on hearing that type of stuff, huh?

" _Besides,"_ he starts to mutter, " _Something was blocking my view, anyways."_

Both counsels clearly heard the young adult mutter something but can't quite make it out. However, Maya heard him perfectly.

"W-wait, Jared," Maya intervenes. "You said something was blocking your view?"

Kish looks up at the medium, surprised. "H-huh? No, I didn't."

"No, you clearly did!"

"Yeah, I did hear you mutter something," Wright follows up. "But I didn't really hear you. Something was blocking your view?"

Jared folds his arms, huffing with as much frustration. "Ok, s-sure, I said that. Something was blocking my view."

 **Hold It!**

" _Hey, that's my thing, Edgeworth!"_

Miles slams the bench with his hand, noticeably more frustrated. "Kish! Why did you say nothing about this during your interrogation! Something blocking your view drastically changes things!"

Kish's arms jerk up. "I dunno. It sounded cooler?"

Every other face in the court is connected with one of their hands, an audible clap-like sound echoing through the room. Edgeworth uses the chance to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Kish. Amend. Testimony. Now."

"You got it."

"There was something blocking my view, so what I saw wasn't really detailed."

 **Objection!**

Phoenix takes another second or two to look over the piece of evidence he has at hand, before addressing Kish again.

"So, you're saying something blocked your view, right?"

"Sure," Jared says, before correcting himself at the sound of a clearing throat. "I-I mean, yes."

"I see," Phoenix nods, looking back down at the paper he's holding. "And, to make sure, you saw this crime from the Second Hotel Center?"

"Honestly, at this point, I'm starting to doubt he saw anything," Maya comments.

"H-hey! I heard that. And, yes, I did see it from there."

"Then, tell me…"

Phoenix turns the page around for all the court to see, revealing it's the hotel's floor plans. Turned to the page of the Second Hotel Center, specifically.

"Which corner in this area were you hiding so something could block your view?"

Phoenix feels shock grace the courtroom as Edgeworth and His Honor consult their copies of the floor plans. Looking through them extensively, the judge is the first to comment.

"M-My! You're right. There's no corner here Kish could've been hiding in and have something blocking his view."

"Looking through this, as well, the defense has a point," Miles puts down his copy, resuming his death stare into Kish.

"H-hey!" Jared quickly intervenes. "That's still possible. Like…er…the…um. The fountain! Yeah, the-"

 **Objection!**

"Disregarding that the fountain is not nearly tall enough for that to be possible, we're not talking about the fountain! We're talking about the corners…where you said you hid in your testimony."

Jared's agitation gains more traction.

"So, Kish, I'm going to ask again," Phoenix urges as he taps the picture for emphasis. "What corner did you hide in where your vision was blocked? Or was that another lie?"

Jared's nothing but stumbling now, searching his head for another excuse.

"Kish!" Edgeworth calls out. "Has nothing you said this morning been truthful? Have you been lying to us this whole time?"

Jared finds himself stumbling even more at the prosecutor's now enraged tone. "I mean, no…I-I."

"Well? What's the truth, then? What did you actually see that night? Or did you see nothing at all?"

"I-I…"

"Well?"

"I-I…"

 _"Well?"_

 **"I KNOW WHAT I SAW, ALRIGHT?"**

The court is immediately caught off by the sudden screaming…and the current state of the screamer.

Kish's distress has reached maximum capacity. Sweat drips from his hair and face as his breath is heavy with panic. He tugs at his shirt, trying to get some relief and air, as he looks around the courtroom, directing a stare of annoyance and slight hatred.

"I know what I saw! Alright? I know you don't believe me but I saw something that day! And I know what I saw!"

"You keep saying that," Phoenix doesn't hesitate to rebut. "But, so far, your testimony is filled with inconsistencies. How can we believe 'what you saw' when you've been lying so far?"

Jared's hands clasp the sides of his head, ruffling his hair, as he stares down in anger. "F-fine! Sure, I've been lying so far," he stomps his foot. "I saw something different, then! But there's one thing I am sure of!"

Kish's finger directs at the defendant's chair, its occupant jerking his head back in shock.

"I'm sure that man right there killed those people, all right?" He shouts, saliva spitting from his mouth. "Especially that third guy. That man! That man right there. That sick, crazy, depraved bastard killed those men and he'd like to do it again!"

"Mr. Kish! You're out of order!" The judge taps his gavel, noticing the courtroom beginning to get agitated. "Calm down or I will not hesitate to follow up on my warning!"

Jared slams his foot again as he starts to sweat even more. "And, sure, I've been lying up until now. But I ain't lying now! I know this psycho did it! And you know why?" Jared pans his arms, addressing the whole court. "Because I saw him! I saw him kill the third victim! I saw it clear as day… in the night!"

The gallery's confusion stirs up even more as the once mostly-silent courtroom is buzzing with muttering or just outright talking. The judge gives a few more bangs from his gavel.

"Order, order! Order in this court, at once!"

"Kish," Edgeworth decides to butt in amidst the growing chaos. "First you saw the defendant's eccentric suit, then you didn't see the murder happen all that clearly…and now you saw the defendant's face as he was committing the third murder?"

"Yeah, yeah, doubt me all you want," Jared retorts. "But I ain't lying this time! I saw him do what he did! I know what I saw!"

"That's quickly becoming his catchphrase, huh?" Maya glances up in thought.

"But more importantly…Kish. If everything else was a lie, then would you please give testimony on this truth?"

"Don't say truth like that!" Kish spits back. "I'm telling the truth, ok?"

"Mr. Kish!" The judge commands once more, a strike from his gavel following. "I will not warn you again."

Jared looks up at His Honor and takes a deep breath, his irritation dissipating some. "F-fine. Yes… You want the truth, then? Here it is."

 **Witness Testimony**

 **\- I Know What I Saw! -**

"I know what I saw!" Kish immediately asserts again. "I may have lied the first time, but here's what really happened!"

"I was in the hotel center when suddenly the power went out, then the gunshot, and then the first guy ran in. And I hid…but here's the thing:"

"I clearly saw everything that happened! I saw the defendant's face as he rushed in and hit the first guy upside the head."

"There's a…skylight in the area, right?" Kish ponders, as almost he's unsure of that as well. "Well, the moonlight lit the place and that's how I could see everything!"

"Alright, that's what happened! You know why? Because…I know what I saw!"

When Kish finishes his statement, his fist propped on his hips, the young man seems proud. "Y-yeah, how was that for truth, huh?"

The courtroom, however, remains silent. And, unfortunately for Jared, not silent for the reasons Kish expects it to be. Shock, yes, but shock at how mind-boggling the logic was.

"W-wait…" Maya jumps in first. "The moonlight illuminated the scene for you that night?"

"Is there a problem?" Kish snaps back. Maya raises her hand as if she was prepared to slap him, Jared cowering his face behind his hands.

"Well," Phoenix massages his eyes, not knowing where to even begin. "Firstly, is the moon ever that bright for that to happen?"

"Hey, I couldn't believe it too," Jared shrugs. "But it happened, alright? And that's what made me see that psycho's face!"

"But I believe the point Wright is delaying getting to," the prosecutor speaks up. "Even if the moon is bright enough where you could clearly see the face of a man murdering someone…wasn't there a terrible thunderstorm that night?"

Jared's confident expression falters some but his response isn't much delayed.

"Hey! Just because there was thunder and all that doesn't mean the moon can't shine through the…er…clouds."

" _Even you sound unsure of that!"_

Miles raises his hand, preparing for another objection. But it drops to his side as his face made it clear: Jared has defeated him.

Wright looks up at His Honor and sees him in much the same state.

"Mr. Wright…your cross-examination?" The judge rubs his temples.

"Yes, Your Honor."

 **Cross-Examination**

 **\- I Know What I Saw! -**

"I know what I saw!" Kish immediately asserts again. "I may have lied the first time, but here's what really happened!"

"I was in the hotel center when suddenly the power went out, then the gunshot, and then the first guy ran in. And I hid…but here's the thing:"

"I clearly saw everything that happened! I saw the defendant's face as he rushed in and hit the first guy upside the head."

"There's a…skylight in the area, right?" Kish ponders, as almost he's unsure of that as well. "Well, the moonlight lit the place and that's how I could see everything!"

 **Hold It!**

"So, you could 'see everything,' huh?"

Jared quickly opens his mouth to speak but closes it in suspicion. "What's that 'huh' for?"

"Earlier, you said that you couldn't see the crime all that well because something was blocking your view, right? Even if there was moonlight, isn't that something to still consider?"

"Well, I was lying, ok?" The answer quickly leaves the ginger's mouth. "Next question."

"Wait, hold on!" Maya interrupts. "You can't just hurry through Nick's question like that."

"Why do I need to linger on it, huh?" Jared throws up his hands. "I was lying…nothing was blocking my way. Next question!"

As much as Phoenix wants to continue with the rest of the statement, the uneasy feeling in his stomach instructed him otherwise. Wright wants to assure this vehement denial is just Kish's usual behavior. _"But is that where the lie really…well, lies? In what he said earlier or what he said now? I mean, even earlier he was hesitant about adding that detail to his testimony after he mumbled it…_

" _Think. If I was Kish and I was eager to deny something, why would I?"_

Phoenix thinks all over the evidence he has.

The floor plans? _"No…I don't think there's anything I can find there."_

Perhaps something in the blackout report? _"No…I don't think so."_

The strange note that dropped from Kish's pocket. _"Wait! That's something I haven't really considered. Those numbers were pretty strange…but what does that have to do with him lying right now?"_

And, then, it hits Phoenix. He pulls the photo from his pocket and examines it for a while and then back at Kish. _"Oh man…I better be right about this."_

"Hey, man," Jared snaps his fingers. "You've been silent for a while. Next question, please?"

"Kish. You're lying again," Wright plainly states.

Jared breaks into a cold sweat. "H-hey! I told you, I ain't lying again. Alright? Why're you doubting me?"

"Call it a gut feeling. And, besides, I have a pretty good theory on hand," Phoenix assures. _"At least, I hope it is!"_

"W-what theory?"

Phoenix doesn't respond, only thinks. Jared watches expectantly, waiting for a response.

"Kish. Did you know that, on the night of the murder, a small shop inside the building was robbed?"

Jared tries with all of his might to retain some color in his face. His attempt is only semi-successful. "W-what? A-aw, man, th-that sucks."

"And what had been taken was an expensive glass statue. A statue that has been described as large and opaque."

A lightbulb pops over every head in the courtroom, the realization hitting them. Only one person has the guts to speak up about it. "M-Mr. Wright. You're not saying?"

"Indeed, I am, Your Honor. For, you see, the reason why Kish has been lying this whole time is not because of his bumbling behavior. No," he shakes his head. "It's because he's been trying to hide something. This was to distract us! Distract us from the very crime he committed! And it's because of this crime that he has mistakenly added a clue to his testimony that would expose him for it."

Sweat drips from the near colorless face of Kish, already knowing his fate is sealed.

"And the crime?"

Phoenix presents the missing glass statue's photo to the court, while directing an accusing finger at Jared.

"You were the one who stole the glass statue!"


End file.
